Gevulde koeken - Dutch almond pastries

[Chufi]

Gevulde koeken - Dutch almond pastries

This is a cookie that consists of a crisp, buttery pastry with an almond paste filling.

A word about the almond paste. In the Netherlands you can buy this readymade. Please note that it's not the same as marzipan, it has a courser, grainier texture. If you can't buy it, make your own by grinding together 125 grams of sugar and 125 grams of blanched almonds. Mix in an egg and some grated lemon zest. Knead well and keep in airtight jars in the fridge. My recipe says it will keep for a couple of weeks and improve in flavor.

The recipe that follows is for about 10 large pastries (4-4,5 inches diameter) or 20-25 small ones (2,5 inch diameter)

• 300 g flour
  
• 200 g cold butter, cubed
  
• 150 g white sugar
  
• 200 g almond paste
  
• 1 egg, beaten
  
• almond halves for decorating
  

Preheat the oven to 250 F / 125 C.

Mix butter, flour and sugar together until you have a dough. You may need to add a couple of drops of water to make it come together.

Roll it out farily thinly on a floured surface. Cut out rounds with a preferably fluted) pastrycutter. Put half the rounds on a baking sheet.

Put heaps of almond paste on top. Moisten the edges of each round with a little water and press the other pastryrounds on top.

Make sure the edges are sealed.

Press one or more almond halves on top of each pastry. Brush liberally with the beaten egg. These cookies traditionally have a thick glaze on top, so if you like you can brush them a couple of more times during the baking.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

From the Dutch Cooking thread

Keywords: Easy, Snack, Cookie

( RG1459 )