Category: Almonds

Orange Currant Bread

This yeasted bread is lightly spiced and not too sweet.

Orange Currant Bread

Ingredients

For the Bread

  • 1 c. half and half, scalded
  • 3 tbs. maple syrup
  • 2 1/4 tsp. (1 package) instant yeast
  • 1 tbs. orange zest
  • 1/4 c. orange juice
  • 1/4 c. salted butter, melted
  • 1 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp.ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 1/8 tsp. ground tumeric
  • 3 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 c. dried currants
  • 1/2 c. slivered, blanched almonds

For the Egg Wash

  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tbs. half and half
  • 1 tbs. maple syrup
  • pinch of kosher salt
Orange Currant Bread

Stir together the half and half, maple syrup, and yeast. Let sit for ten minutes, or until frothy. Whisk together the egg, orange zest, orange juice, and butter. Add to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.

Add the salt, cinnamon, cardamom, tumeric, and flour. Mix to form dough. Add the currants and almonds. Knead the dough until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 8-10 minutes.

Cover the dough with greased plastic wrap and let rise for 45-50 minutes.

Orange Currant Bread Dough

Gently punch down the dough, then place into a greased loaf pan. (I used a Rehrücken pan.) Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise another 45-50 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together the egg yolk, half and half, maple syrup, and salt. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped.

Orange Currant Bread

Stollen Cookies

These cookies have the flavors of stollen bread. Marzipan is mixed into the dough and is stuffed full of almonds and dried fruit.

Stollen Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. salted butter, softened
  • 1 c. granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. almond extract
  • 1/2 c. marzipan
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c. almonds, blanched and slivered
  • 1/2 c. dried apricots, diced
  • 1/2 c. dried tart cherries
  • 1/4 c. currants

Yields Approximately 3 Dozen Cookies

Stollen Cookies Dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl, then add the eggs and mix until combined. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and marzipan. Beat until the marzipan is fully incorporated into the mixture.

In a bowl, sift together the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and flour. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two additions, scraping after each addition. Add the almonds, apricots, cherries, and currants. Mix until just combined.

Using tablespoon-sized scoops of dough, place onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned on the bottoms of the cookies.

Peach Crisp+Pecans+Almonds

This features juicy peaches and marzipan mixed into the filling

Peach Crisp+Pecans+Almonds

Ingredients

For the Peach Filling

  • 4 lbs. peaches, peeled and sliced
  • 2 tbs. lemon juice
  • 1/4 c. dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tbs. cornstarch
  • 1/4 c. marzipan
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp. almond extract

For the Crisp Topping

  • 1/2 c. salted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 c. dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 c. rolled oats
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 c. chopped pecans
  • 1/2 c. chopped almonds
Peach Crisp +Pecans+Almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a bowl, toss the peaches with the lemon juice, dark brown sugar, marzipan, vanilla extract, almond extract, and cornstarch. The marizpan will start to dissolve over time. Give it the occasional stir to fully incorporate the marzipan. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.

In a bowl stir together the flour, rolled oats, kosher salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, dark brown sugar, pecans, and almonds. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your hands, mixing until everything is well combined. Break the bits of mixture into smaller pieces for topping.

Pour the peach filling into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Spread the crisp topping over the peaches. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the crisp topping is browned