Gusstorte Swiss Almond Fruit Pastry Recipes

MIXED FRUIT ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Make the crust: Grease the sides and bottom of a 9-inch tart pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the nuts into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until nuts are finely ground. Add remaining butter and sugar and pulse until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Use your fingers and the flat bottom of a drinking glass to press the dough into an even layer in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the tart is firm and golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Set aside. Make the almond cream: Whisk the sugar, flour and egg yolks until thick and smooth in a medium bowl. Bring the milk and almond extract to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Pour about 1/2 of the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, then pour the whole mix back into the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, 5-8 minutes. Stir this mixture constantly, scraping the bottom as you stir, so the flour doesn't stick to the bottom and burn. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and cover it with a coating of plastic wrap so that it doesn't form a "skin". Refrigerate until completely cooled. Assemble the tart: Place the tart bottom on a serving platter. Spoon the pastry cream on top. Arrange the kiwi slices, raspberries and blueberries on top of the pastry cream and brush with the jam until the fruit is coated with it. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of sliced almonds.

SWISS-ALMOND FLORET BAKE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 1-in. of water, cauliflower and broccoli to a boil. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and pat dry., In another large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in the cheese, jam, curry, salt and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Remove from the heat., Place cauliflower and broccoli in a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Top with cheese sauce. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over sauce. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

SWISS ALMOND CARROT CAKE (AARGAUER RUEBLITORTE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
• Beat egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in carrots, almonds, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
• Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and add to the batter. Stir well to combine.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cake batter with a spatula. Pour batter into the prepared springform pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Remove carefully and place on a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 30 minutes.
• Knead marzipan until soft and pliable. Pinch off 1/5 and add a little green food coloring using a toothpick. Knead until marzipan is uniformly green. Color the remaining marzipan orange using the same method. Shape orange marzipan into 12 little carrots and make tiny indentations on top with a paring knife. Shape the green marzipan into little leaves. Stick 2 leaves to the top of each carrot with a little water.
• Combine confectioners' sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thick icing. Coat cake with the icing. Place marzipan carrots on top around the edges in such a way that each piece of cake has a marzipan carrot. Let icing dry before slicing and serving.

GUSSTORTE (SWISS ALMOND & FRUIT PASTRY)

Steps:

• Cook the dried fruit by simmering in a saucepan of water until softened enough to mash.
• Drain well and allow to cool slightly before processing in a food processor to a thick, chunky pulp.
• Have this done in advance and at room temperature when ready to fill pastry.
• Set flour for the pastry dough in a bowl and using two forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter pieces until the mixture resembles small pebbles.
• Add water a little at a time, mixing until the dough starts to form up a ball.
• Gather into a ball with your hands gently and knead on a very lightly floured surface just enough to make a smooth ball of dough- do not overwork the dough.
• Cover in plastic and chill while preparing filling.
• If you prefer, you may substitute a premade refrigerated pastry dough.
• Beat the eggs until they are thick and lemony.
• Beat in the granulated sugar 1 Tbsp at a time.
• Fold in the nuts.
• Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and cut to fit into the bottom of a 9-inch well greased springform pan.
• Spread the cooled mashed fruit over the dough and then pour the nut mixture over the fruit.
• Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the eggy filling is set.
• Chill, then remove sides of pan carefully, slice and serve.
• Store in the refrigerator.

FRUITY ALMOND PUFF PASTRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the sheet of puff pastry in the center of a baking sheet fitted with parchment. Top the puff with another sheet of parchment. Place a baking sheet directly on top of the parchment on top of the puff pastry. This weighs down the puff as it bakes and makes it uniform.
• Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the puff pastry is partially cooked and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and take the baking sheet and top sheet of parchment off the pastry.
• While the pastry is baking, make the frangipane. In the bowl of the food processor, pulse the almonds until they become like a coarse, wet powder. Add the sugar, butter, flour, almond extract, cinnamon and egg and pulse until it forms a paste.
• Gently spread the frangipane in an even layer over the puff pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and place the baking sheet back in the center of the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Bake until the frangipane and pastry are browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
• In a small pot, warm the jam over low heat until it melts slightly, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer the puff to a flat surface and use a serrated knife to gently cut into 9 even pieces. Arrange the pieces close together on a serving platter as if they make a whole tart. Drizzle some of the warmed jam over the top edges of the pastry and frangipane to create a "glue" for the raspberries to stick to the pastry. Arrange the raspberries over the top of each piece. Drizzle the remaining jam gently over the raspberries and finish with a sprinkle of sugar for added texture. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate the leftovers (if there are any!!).

PUFF-PASTRY FRUIT TART WITH ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut 3/4-inch-wide strip off each side of pastry and reserve. Roll out pastry square on work surface to 9 1/2-inch square. Brush edges of square with egg glaze. Arrange 3/4-inch-wide strips atop edges, forming raised border. Brush border with glaze. Pierce center of pastry all over with fork. Bake until pastry is golden brown about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blend almond paste and cream in processor until almost smooth. Spoon almond filling into center of tart and spread evenly. Bake 5 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.
• Melt jam with ginger in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Arrange fruit decoratively atop tart. Brush jam glaze over fruit. Cut tart into squares and serve.