Best Mandel Kranser Almond Crowns Recipes

CANDIED SUGARED ALMONDS (GERMAN GEBRANNTE MANDELN)

Steps:

• In a large heavy skillet, heat almonds, sugar and butter over medium heat.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until almonds are toasted and sugar is a golden brown, about 15 minutes. Watch them carefully, do not scorch.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Spread on buttered aluminum foil; sprinkle with salt and dust lightly with cinnamon, if using.
• Cool and break into clusters.
• VARIATION: For a nice variation, omit the salt and cinnamon, and replace vanilla extract with 1 tablespoon culinary rose water.
• Store in an airtight container; freezes well. Give as gifts, wrapped in small cellophane bags tied with ribbon.

CHALLAH CROWNS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, sugar, and yeast together in a large bowl and make a well in the center.
• Whisk the water and honey with 1 whole egg, all the yolks, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl and pour into the well. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon to make a soft, shaggy, moist dough. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand, adding up to 3/4 cup more flour as needed, until the dough is soft and supple, about 8 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball.
• Brush a large bowl with oil and turn dough around in bowl to coat lightly. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set aside until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead briefly to release excess air, re-shape into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover and set aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Line 2 baking sheet pans with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half. Lightly dust hands with flour and roll each portion of dough into a 30-inch-long log. (If dough resists, then cover and let rest for 5 or 10 minutes before shaping). Spiral each length of dough around itself to form a coiled round loaf on the prepared pans. Lightly stretch the end of the coil and moisten it with water; gently press the end into the side of the round to seal the coil into a loaf. Press down on the loaves gently, cover with a kitchen towel and set aside until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Beat the remaining egg with a tablespoon of water and brush loaves evenly with it; sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired. Put the loaves in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 400 degrees, and bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the crown registers 190 degrees F, about 30 to 35 minutes.

GRANDMA'S ALMOND CAKE (OMAS MANDELKUCHEN)

Steps:

• In a bowl cream the eggs with the sugar.
• In a seperate bowl mix the flour with the baking powder.
• Add some flour/baking powder to the egg mixture and combine, then add some of the cream and continue that way, alternating between the two, mix until you have a smooth dough.
• Spread the dough onto a greased or baking paper lined oven tray (this is just the standard tray that comes with your oven, the one that fits directly into it, it doesn't have to be deep).
• Bake in a pre-heated oven (200°C/400°F/Gas 6) for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile mix the melted butter, almonds, milk and sugar.
• Remove the cake from the oven and evenly brush with the almond butter mixture.
• Place back in the oven and continue to bake at the same temperature for another 15 minutes.
• Allow to cool and cut into slices.

ALMOND BURFI

Steps:

• 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, chopped finer
• In a heavy 4 quart pot, combine the sugar and water and boil together until candy thermometer registers 225 degrees F and a small amount of the syrup forms a thin thread between the thumb and forefinger when carefully sampled from the stirrer.
• Reduce heat to medium and stir in the almond paste with 1/4 cup Ghee. Stir in the rest of the Ghee in 1/4 cup increments until all of it has been absorbed. Keep stirring over medium to medium-low heat; the mixture will become a single mass and will roll around in the pan. If the mixture begins to brown, lower the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes porous and starts to appear drier -- this can take up to 10 minutes.
• Spread the mixture in an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan and press into 1/2 inch thickness. Immediately sprinkle with the almonds, gently pressing them into the surface. While still warm, cut into 36 squares or diamond shapes.
• Serve at room temperature.
• In a heavy skillet, over medium to medium-low heat, heat the butter until it is completely melted. Watch as the butter boils, first with large bubbles and white milk solids floating on the surface, then with only a fine white foam filling the entire surface. Stir occasionally.
• Soon, small patches of golden brown will appear on the surface, and the overall color of the butter will change from yellow to golden. Push aside the foam periodically to check the color of the sediment. When the sediment turns light brown, remove from the heat. (see note)
• Decant into a jar with a tight lid. Warm, if desired, for serving over rice.

MANDELSPRITZGEBäCK (GERMAN CHRISTMAS ALMOND COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven (375°F, 190°C).
• Grease baking trays.
• Mix butter with sugar until creamy. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until foamy.
• Add almonds and a few drops oil of bitter almonds.
• Add flour (mixed with baking powder) little by little and mix. The dough should be elastic, but will not be smooth.
• Fill in the dough into a cookie press with big star nozzle or better into a meat grinder with a big star nozzle.
• Make/press dough strings of about 2 to 3-inches. Form dough strings into rings, "S", horseshoes or any other shapes you like and place on baking tray.
• Bake for about 12 minutes. Cookies should still be light.
• NOTE: Oil of bitter almonds: if you can't find it, use almond extract.
• NOTE on cookie press: the dough is elastic but not smooth. So using a simple icing bag could be difficult. I use a meat grinder with a special cookie star nozzle. You can use a suited cookie press.
• NOTE on custom yield: I really can't give the correct custom yield. But the amount will make several baking trays. Baking time is given for one tray.

MANDELBROT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In an electric mixer beat eggs well and then add and beat well the oil, sugar and vanilla. Sift together salt, flour and baking powder, add to egg mixture and beat until just incorporated. Add nuts and any other additions at this time, fold in but don?t over-mix. The dough will be sticky, refrigerate for a few hours or longer, if needed. Coat hands with flour and then divide dough into thirds and shape each into long rolls 3 inches wide on a cookie sheet. They can be left straight or shaped into half moons. Bake for 30 minutes or until a little golden.
• Remove from the oven, slice into 1/2-inch slices with a serrated knife and return to cookie sheet. Either lay them flat on the cookie sheet or stand them on their ends. They may be sprinkled with cinnamon sugar at this point. Return to the oven and turn off the heat. Leave them in oven until oven cools or overnight. The longer one leaves them in the oven the harder they will become.