Tag Archives: almond paste

Danish Butter Cake

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Danish Butter CakeAs promised, here is the Danish Butter Cake.  This is good any time of the day from breakfast as a coffeecake,  to evening as a dessert or, if you’re like us, any time of the day. How can you possibly go wrong with almond filling, pastry cream, remonce, and chocolate?  If you are not fond of almond paste, omit it from the remonce.

Last week I posted the Quick Danish Pastry and suggested you make the pastry cream.  If you did and thawed it Tuesday or, at the latest, Wednesday, you’re all set to make this extraordinary Danish Butter Cake. Continue reading →

Chocolate Spiced Coffee Cake

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Chocolate Spiced Coffee CakeThe dough for this Chocolate Spiced Coffee Cake is based on a recipe from one of my favorite bakers, Beatrice Ojakangas. Her book, “The Great Scandinavian Baking Book” is a classic that is in the James Beard Foundation Hall of Fame. She has given us so many wonderful Scandinavian baking recipes. I would happily make anything she wrote about because her recipes work.

The recipe for the dough is interesting in that it has no egg and receives its initial rise in the refrigerator straight out of the processor. Continue reading →

Chocolate Raspberry Marzipan Gateau

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Chocolate Raspberry Marzipan GateauThis Chocolate Raspberry Marzipan Gateau is a prime example of French baking. I can’t remember where this comes from, certainly I did not come up with it. The three hole paper is turning yellow with age so it has to be when I was learning and becoming interested in pastry as a profession.

A note on the bottom says, “This is a wonderfully moist and flavorful combination.” I love finding little notes on old recipes. Continue reading →

Brandied Chocolate Cherry Almond Garmisch

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Brandied Chocolate Cherry Almond GarmischGarmisch is another wonderful yeasted coffeecake as only the Germans can make them. Superb bakers, their products not only look beautiful but are luxurious tasting.

This yeast dough is really easy to put together and even if you have been slow to come to yeasted doughs this is a great place to start. It is a firmer dough that handles easily. It can be made ahead and refrigerated for several days before shaping and after baking, it freezes to be eaten another day – maybe as a special treat on New Years Day morning.

This Garmisch dough comes from a recipe that is so old I can’t remember where I got it. The dough itself is not sweet. The sweetness of the Garmisch comes from the filling. The original filling was walnuts and while delicious, the chocolate cherry almond filling adds a note of excitement. Dried bing cherries are soaked in brandy. Almond paste, a European favorite combines exquisitely with the cherries and brandy. The processor makes quick work of combining the ingredients into a filling with the egg white used to bind the filling. Continue reading →

Orange Almond Teacake

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Orange Almond TeacakeThis Orange Almond Teacake is made from the same recipe as the Orange Almond Madeleines. In fact the madeleines. which we used as a petit four we thought of after we did the cake.  They are not only a wonderful addition to a petit four tray but can also be arranged as a flower for presentation.  Orange Almond Madelienes for Orange Almond Teacake

What makes this recipe a bit different from the original is the use of my almond paste in this Orange Almond Teacake.  A teacake is usually a simple, one layer, uniced cake.  While originally eaten with a cup of tea, coffee or nothing is fine in the states.  The almond paste in this cake keeps it moist for days.  The crumb of this cake is very close, not exactly dense but not exactly light either. Continue reading →