RECIPE: REC: Leipzig Almond Tea Cakes (Leipziger Lerchen)

[richard-in-cincy]

Leipziger Lerchen (Leipzig Larks)

16 tea cakes

(ingredients separated to make two separate doughs)

3 eggs, separated

250 g + 75 g flour

125 g + 125 g butter

125 g + 50 g sugar

1 tbl cognac

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. almond extract

125 g + 2 tbls. powdered sugar

100 g ground almonds

16 tps. apricot marmalade

First dough:

Combine 250 g. flour, 125. butter (diced), 125 g. sugar, 2 egg yolks, cognac, salt, and 1 tsp. ice water and knead into a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Second dough:

Beat 125 g. butter and almond extract until creamy. Stir in 125 g. powdered sugar, then 75 g. flour, and finally the ground almonds. Beat the egg whites and 50 g. sugar until stiff peak stage. Fold into almond dough.

Roll out the chilled dough and cut 16 circles. Reroll the scraps and cut out 32 strips the diameter of the circles.

Place the dough circles in buttered muffin tins.

Place a tsp of marlalade on each circle.

Divide the almond dough into 16 parts and spoon on top of marmalade.

Criss-cross the strips over the almond dough.

Brush the tops with beaten egg yolk.

Bake at 350F for apporoximately 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on racks. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

 

[marilynfl]

Are ground almonds different from almond flour?

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Never heard them called almond flour, but if

you've got 100% milled almonds, then yes, they would be the same thing.

 

[wildwoods]

richard, do you think these would work well in a mini-muffin tin?

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Absolutely, you would just use the corresponding

size cutter to make the rounds, and consequently, you would be making more than 16, but yes.

I've even done these as "tassies" and skipped the strips on top, when I don't wan to take the time. They're very tasty almond tea cakes/cookies.

 

[marilynfl]

When Mom made nutroll or thumbprints, we would grind the walnuts and they'd be mealy and crumbly

with a distinctive oily feel and a bumpy texture. Not floury and smooth.

I wondered if that might be the same difference with ground almonds.

 

[shaun-in-to]

Yes, different. Nut flours are ground from what's left over after the oil

is pressed out of the nut, so they're drier and finer than ground whole nuts. Sometimes it doesn't make a difference, but there's already flour in this recipe, so I'd stick with ground almonds unless.

 

[wildwoods]

that's just what i was thinking. thanks!

 

[richard-in-cincy]

you have to be careful with

almonds, grind too much and you get almond butter. I have one of those little hand-cranked nut choppers and it does a great job getting a nice even grind. Trader Joe's sells bags of ground almonds and hazelnuts, and I've seen them at some other food shops too, those are much finer than I can do with the nut grinder. Either way, I think both versions will work fine in this recipe.

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Thanks Shaun, good to know.

I use so many ground nuts in my Austrian baking. I've seen those mealy looking bags of ground almonds and that must be what you're referring to. Would make a big difference in the recipe if the nut oils had been removed. Would result in a very dry texture if the recipe was counting on the oil content of the ground nut. I've been tempted to buy those products for convenience, but haven't because I have this thing about not buying processed food. Glad to know my instincts were corret.