AlmondBearClaw

I adapted this recipe to a smaller batch than what I found online. My adaption ended up with 12 3 inch long bear claws at about 260 calories each.

Ingredients

    1/3 cup almond paste (see recipe below)
    1 cups ground almonds
    1/4 cup white sugar
    1 pinch salt
    2 tablespoons butter
    1 eggs whites
    1/2 teaspoon almond extract
    1 pounds puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farm)
    1 egg
    1 tablespoon water
    3 tablespoons sliced almonds, for garnish
    3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat almond paste with an electric mixer to break it apart. Add the almonds, sugar, and salt; continue to mix until the almond paste is no longer lumpy. Stir in the butter, egg whites, and almond extract on high speed until its as fluffy as you can get it. Set aside.
3. Using half of the dough at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle that is about 8 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. Trim the edges of the dough. Cut the dough in half lengthwise to make two 4 inch wide strips.
4. Fill a pastry bag halfway with the almond filling and pipe a stripe of filling down the center of each strip. (a sandwich bag works good for this). I like lots of filling. So I piped two big thick strips down the middle.
5. Whisk together the egg and water. Brush onto one edge of each strip. Fold each strip over the filling and press gently to seal it. Brush each piece with egg wash and sprinkle sliced almonds over the top. Cut into 3 to 4 inch pieces, then cut 1/2 inch slits into the sealed edge to make the "claws". Place the bear claws at least two inches apart on baking sheets.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until almonds are toasted and pastry is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and dust with confectioners' sugar right before serving. Next time mix the sugar with a bit of water and almond extract to make an icing.

Almond Paste

Incredients

    1-1/2 cups blanched almonds
    1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
    1 egg white
    1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
    1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Place almonds in a food processor; cover and process until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, egg white, extract and salt; cover and process until smooth.
2. Divide almond paste into 1/2-cup portions; place in airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 3 months. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.