Sweet & Flaky Almond Pretzels

Name: Sweet & Flaky Almond Pretzels
Yield: 12 servings of 1 pretzel
Ingredients: ½ package (17.3 oz or 397 g) frozen puff pastry, thawed (1 sheet); 1 egg, separated; ½ cup (125 mL) canned almond paste; ¼ cup (60 mL) packed brown sugar; 2 tsp (10 mL) milk; ¼ cup (60 mL) sliced almonds, finely chopped; ½ cup (125 mL) powdered sugar; 2 tsp (10 mL) milk

Prep 15 min

Cook 35 min

Ready in 50 min

These treats are perfect served with coffee as a brunch offering. They can also be drizzled with melted chocolate for an extra-special finish.

Ingredients

½ package (17.3 oz or 397 g) frozen puff pastry, thawed (1 sheet)
1 egg, separated
½ cup (125 mL) canned almond paste
¼ cup (60 mL) packed brown sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) milk
¼ cup (60 mL) sliced almonds, finely chopped

½ cup (125 mL) powdered sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). For pretzels, unfold pastry onto lightly floured cutting board. Roll out pastry to a 14 x 12-inch (35.5 x 30.5 cm) rectangle; cut in half lengthwise.
Place egg yolk in a small mixing bowl. Add almond paste, brown sugar and milk; beat on medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Evenly spread filling to edges of one of the pastry rectangles. Place remaining pastry rectangle on top of filling, matching edges.
Cut dough lengthwise into 12 equal strips. Twist each strip several times and then form into a pretzel shape. Place on Rectangle Stone. Repeat with remaining strips. Brush pretzels with lightly beaten egg white; sprinkle with almonds. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven to a cooling rack; cool completely.
For glaze, combine powdered sugar and milk; whisk until smooth using Stainless Steel Mini Whisk. Drizzle glaze over pretzels.

Yield:

12 servings of 1 pretzel

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 300, Total Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 37 g, Protein 5 g, Sodium 140 mg, Fiber 4 g

Cook's Tips:

Two layers of puff pastry are spread with a thick almond paste filling. Once cut into strips, they are twisted and formed into pretzels. If desired, the strips can also be formed into straight twists or in wreath shapes before baking.

Almond paste is a mixture of ground almonds and sugar. It is available in most supermarkets in the baking aisle and is found in cans. Once opened, it should be tightly wrapped (to keep it from drying out) and refrigerated. Do not substitute marzipan for the almond paste. It has a finer texture but is stiffer and harder to spread.