AMERICAN ALMOND ALMOND PASTE RECIPES

Steps:

• Prepare Raisins
• Add the raisins to a large bowl and cover them with warm water. Let them soak for at least 2 hours
• Remove the raisins from the water, and use a lint-free towel to dry them thoroughly.
• On a cookie sheet lined with a dry lint-free towel, let the raisins air dry for at least 1 hour or as long as 4 hours.
• Make Almond Paste
• Carefully zest the lemon, and make sure that you only take the yellow, and none of the white pith.
• Add the almonds, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor.
• Pulse until you see no more pieces of almond, and the texture of the mixture feels like sand. You don't want to over-process this because it will turn into almond butter.
• Add the egg and almond extract, and pulse until it comes together, and you can easily form a ball from it.
• Wrap the almond paste in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for at least 1 hour
• Make the Dough
• Warm the milk up until it reads approximately 43ºC (110F).
• In the bowl of your stand mixer with a dough hook, add your flour.
• Add the yeast on one side of the bowl, and the salt on the other.
• Add the milk, sugar, and egg.
• Let the mixer run until the dough comes together. You may have to use a spatula to scrape the sides. Once the dough comes together, let the mixer knead it for another 5 minutes
• Add the softened butter and the speculaas spices, and knead until fully combined, at least 5 minutes
• Add the raisins, chopped nuts, and candied orange peel. Knead until it's evenly distributed.
• If the dough feels overly wet, you can turn it out on a liberally floured work surface, and knead it by hand for a few minutes.
• Return the dough back to the mixing bowl, and cover it. Let it rise in a warm spot for 1 Hour
• Prepare the Almond Paste Filling
• Note: The almond paste you've made yields more than you need for the two kerststol loaves. However, It freezes really well, I put it in a ziptop baggie, and press it flat. This makes it freeze and thaw really quickly. We use almond paste for many different recipes, so I always have some in the freezer. After the almond paste has rested, break the amount you need into small pieces in a bowl, and add the egg yolk and water. Using your hands, or a hand mixer, mix until fully combined.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Divide the filling into two equal balls. Roll the ball out until it's approximately a 30cm (12") long log. Try to roll it out as evenly as possible. Place the almond paste log on the cookie sheet. Repeat for the other ball of almond paste filling.
• Rolling and Filling the Kerststol
• Divide the dough into two even pieces.
• Flour your work surface, and roll out the first dough ball, until it's an oval that is at least 30cm (12") wide, and 20cm (8") tall.
• Take one of the logs of almond paste, and lay it on the dough, closest to you. You may have to press in the sides a little bit, to give yourself some space to close the ends of the dough up.
• Roll the dough up, around the almond paste. Pinch the ends close, and then pinch the seam close as well. Put it on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, seam down.
• Re-flour your work surface, and repeat this for your second dough ball, and the almond paste log. Make sure you have enough space between the two loaves on the cookie sheet, otherwise the sides that face each other won't bake as well.
• Cover the stollen with plastic wrap, and let them rise in a warm spot for another hour.
• Baking the Kerststol
• Preheat your oven to 190ºC (375F) in non-convection mode.
• Create two aluminum foil tents for both of the loaves. They need to be large enough to completely cover, without touching the bread, each loaf.
• Place the loaves of bread in the oven, on the middle rack.
• Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, but start checking after 15 minutes. You want to keep an eye out on the color of the crust. If the crust starts looking darker than a nice deep brown, place the tents over the loaves, to prevent the crusts from browning more..
• When done, take them out of the oven, and let them cool on a rack for a minute or two.
• Brush the crusts liberally with melted butter.
• Let them cool completely
• Finishing the Kerststol
• Before serving, melt some more butter, brush it on the top, and then generously dust the top of the kerststol with powdered sugar. The bread should look like a snow-capped mountain!

Steps:

• Pulse almond paste in a food processor until broken up into small pieces. Add granulated sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder and pulse, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until mixture is well combined and mostly powdery with a few small clumps. Add egg whites and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Pulse in flour until just combined.
• Transfer dough to a medium bowl; fold in any dry spots with a rubber spatula if needed. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Put powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Using a #30 cookie scoop (about 2 Tbsp.) and working one at a time, scoop out portions of dough and roll into balls (you should have about 12). Working quickly, roll balls in powdered sugar to coat. Divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 3" apart.
• Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, just until puffed and cracked and edges are set (cookies will look slightly underbaked between the cracks), 12–14 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets. Do ahead: Dough can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill. Cookies can be made 4 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature.