Best Festive Butter Almond Loaf Recipes
CRANBERRY/ALMOND LOAF
Every year, The Dairy Farmers of Canada sponsor the printing and distribution of (what Canadians affectionately call) The Milk Calendar. Each page, starting with December of the previous year (in case you missed it), is a beautiful photograph, in colour, of a recipe for the month, and the applicable recipe neatly printed beside the photo. This year (2008), I started in December, because I love to bake "loaves" and this loaf is particularly appealing. Quoting directly, they say: "Moist, studded with fruit and nuts and made in one bowl - what more can you ask? A slice of this sweet loaf is perfect with a cup of tea or cafe latte..." Cooking Tip: *To sour Milk, spoon 2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice or white vinegar into measuring cup; pour in enough Milk to make 1 1/2 cups (375mL). Let it stand for 5 mins. then stir. For the Adventurous: replace half the cranberries with chopped dried apricots and use hazelnuts instead of almonds. Healthy Eating Tip: Don't deprive yourself of delicious baked goods over the holiday season. Forbidden foods will tantalize you all the more. Instead, choose modest-sized servings and savour the flavour. Allergy alert: If there is an aversion to nuts, simply eliminate the nuts and increase cranberries, or add raisins, or other chopped, dried fruit. You will like the combination. Butter substitution: Margarine, Vegetable Oil; Olive Oil: Unsweetened Apple Sauce, in the same measurement
Provided by TOOLBELT DIVA
Categories < 4 Hours
Time 1h15m
Yield 1 loaf, 10-12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
- Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Make a well in the centre and add beaten eggs, Milk, butter and vanilla.
- Sprinkle with cranberries and almonds; stir just until combined.
- Spread into prepared pan, smoothing top.
- Bake for 65 to 75 mins, or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.
- Remove from pan and transfer to rack to cool completely.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 367.8, Fat 15.6, SaturatedFat 7.3, Cholesterol 71.8, Sodium 320.4, Carbohydrate 49.2, Fiber 2.3, Sugar 16.9, Protein 8
ALMOND PUFF LOAF
The recipe for this buttery, flaky, tender confection has been around for years and years but, like all fine classics, its beauty never fades. It's incredibly easy to make, yet tastes and looks as though a professionally trained pastry chef might have labored over it for hours. Hey, a little subterfuge never hurts any bakers' reputation!
Provided by Cucina Casalingo
Categories Breads
Time 1h30m
Yield 16-20 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- FIRST LAYER: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the butter, flour, and salt (if you're using it), working the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or fork, your fingers, or a mixer.
- Mix until everything is crumbly, then stir in the water. The dough will become cohesive, though not smooth.
- Divide the dough in half; if you're using a scale, each half will weigh about 4 5/8 ounces.
- Wet your hands, and shape each piece of this wet dough into a rough log.
- Grease a baking sheet or sheets that'll allow you to stretch and pat the logs into 11 x 3-inch rectangles on the sheet, leaving at least 4 inches (but preferably 6 inches) between them, and 2 inches on each side. These puff up in the oven (hence the name), and you need to leave them room for expansion.
- SECOND LAYER: In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil.
- Stir until the butter melts, then add the flour (and salt, if you're using it) all at once.
- Stir the mixture with a spoon till it thickens, begins to steam, and leaves the sides of the pan; this will happen very quickly.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl, or the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat it at medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just to cool it down a bit.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat until the dough loses its "slimy" look, and each egg is totally absorbed.
- Mix in the almond extract.
- Divide the batter in half.
- Spread half the batter over one of the dough strips on the pan, covering it completely.
- Repeat with the remaining batter and dough.
- With a spatula (or your wet fingers) spread the batter until it completely covers the entire bottom layer of dough. Smooth it out as best you can.
- Bake the pastry in a preheated 350°F oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until it's a deep golden brown.
- Remove it from the oven, and transfer each pastry to a wire rack (a giant spatula works well here).
- TOPPING: Spread each warm pastry with about 1/3 cup of jam or preserves. (Any flavor is fine, but our favorites are raspberry and apricot.)
- Sprinkle the toasted almonds atop the jam. By this time, your beautifully puffed pastries are probably starting to sink; don't worry, this is all part of the plan.
- ICING: Stir together the sugar, vanilla, and enough milk or water to form a thick but "drizzlable" icing. Drizzle the icing atop the pastries.
- Cut into squares or strips to serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 243, Fat 14.1, SaturatedFat 7.8, Cholesterol 70.3, Sodium 100.5, Carbohydrate 25.6, Fiber 0.9, Sugar 10.5, Protein 3.6
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