Almond Grapes Recipes

WARM ALMOND CAKES WITH GRAPES

Steps:

• Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
• If using Cognac, toss grapes with it in a small bowl.
• Pulse half of almonds with 1 tablespoon sugar in a blender until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and repeat with remaining almonds and 1 more tablespoon sugar.
• Beat together butter and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and beat in ground almonds, flour, and salt until just combined.
• Divide batter among gratin dishes and press grapes lightly into batter (discard Cognac). Bake in dishes on a baking sheet until cake is firm and pale golden with slightly darker edges, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer cakes to a rack and cool slightly in dishes before serving.

WHITE ALMOND-GARLIC SOUP WITH GRAPES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the almonds, bread, garlic, milk and vinegar. Working in three batches, transfer about a third of the mixture to a blender and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Repeat process with the remaining mixture.
• Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and chill for several hours. Before serving, taste the soup; if it tastes too strongly of either garlic or vinegar, add a bit of water. Serve the soup garnished with grape halves.

GRAPE GALETTE WITH ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add half of the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the remaining butter and pulse into pea-size pieces. Add 1/4 cup ice water and pulse until the dough clumps together but has not yet formed a ball. Turn out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap; press into a disk and wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Pulse 1/2 cup almonds, 1/4 cup sugar, the egg yolk, butter, vanilla and lemon zest in a food processor to make a paste.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Spread the almond filling over the dough, leaving a 2 1/2-inch border; top with the grapes. Fold the edge of the dough over the fruit by about 2 inches, pleating as needed. Refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes.
• Lightly beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Scatter the remaining 2 tablespoons almonds all over the galette, then sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the grapes are softened, about 40 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet.

WHITE GAZPACHO WITH GRAPES AND TOASTED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Set aside 1 cup of chopped cucumber for a garnish. Soak the bread in water until soft, about 2 minutes. Place soaked bread, the rest of the cucumber, garlic, 3 of the scallions, vinegar, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the almonds, salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until cucumbers are completely blended and liquid and almonds are almost completely invisible, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and vinegar, if desired.
• To serve, ladle 1 cup gazpacho into a bowl. Mound 1/4 cup reserved chopped cucumber, 1 tablespoon scallions, 2 tablespoons grapes and 1 teaspoon almonds in the center of the soup.

GRAPES WITH ALMOND WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Whip cream in a chilled bowl* until it begins to hold its shape.
• Add confectioners sugar and almond extract and beat until slightly stiff.
• *For best results make sure the bowl, heavy cream, and metal beaters are cold; try putting them all in the freezer for 5 minutes.
• Gently fold in the grapes and almonds until well mixed.
• More or less grapes can be added depending on your own preferences.

ALMOND-GRAPE TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and flour an 3-by-8-inch metal loaf pan. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. In a food processor, pulse almonds and 1/4 cup sugar until finely ground. Add flour and salt and pulse to combine. With mixer on low, beat almond mixture into butter mixture until combined. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest.
• Transfer batter to pan and smooth top. Press grape halves into batter in rows and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour, rotating pan halfway through. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack. To serve, remove cake from pan and slice. Store cooled cake, wrapped in plastic, at room temperature, up to 3 days.

ALMOND GRAPE GAZPACHO

Steps:

• For the gazpacho: Place garlic cloves in a small pan of cold water over high heat. When water comes to a boil, strain garlic and chill until needed. Cover stale bread cubes with water and allow to sit until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Squeeze all the water from bread and put into a blender with almonds, grapes and garlic cloves. Season with a bit of salt and purée until mixture is very smooth, almost like mashed potatoes; if necessary drizzle in a bit of water to help mixture to purée.
• Place 1 cup ice-cold water in a measuring cup. Place olive oil in another cup. With blender running, slowly drizzle in both liquids, simultaneously, through opening of blender. Gazpacho will turn very smooth and silky. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar or more, if desired. Adjust salt to taste. To thin soup, if desired, add 1 to 3 tablespoons cold water, one tablespoon at a time. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until very cold, about 2 hours.
• For garnish and serving: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle oil over diced bread and sprinkle with salt. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, and add grapes, almonds and scallion. Add a drizzle of oil and a small sprinkling of vinegar and salt. To serve, ladle gazpacho into four chilled soup plates. Add garnish, and drizzle with more oil.

ALMOND GRAPES

Steps:

• Mix together sour cream, sugar and almond extract. Mix with grapes and add pecans.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!