Almond Wreath Recipe

How about an almond crown for a special afternoon tea?

Ingredients Dough

• 100 grams of roasted and chopped or ground almonds
• 1 cup (tea) of sifted wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of yeast

Ingredients Filling

• 3 champagne biscuits
• 3 tablespoons of rum
• 2 egg whites, beaten until stiff
• 1 and ½ cup (tea) of sugar
• 1 cup (tea) of butter
• 3 tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar

Dough Preparation Method

1. Boil ¼ liter of water together with the butter, sugar and salt.
2. Remove from heat and add the wheat flour all at once.
3. Beat quickly with a wooden spoon until you obtain a smooth dough.
4. Return to the heat without stopping to stir, until a kind of crust forms on the bottom of the pan.
5. Remove, transfer to a bowl, add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.
6. At this stage, if you prefer, you can add half of the ground almonds.
7. The dough should be uniform and slide easily from the wooden spoon.
8. Add the yeast, mix and transfer the dough to a piping bag (giant tip).
9. In a round pan, make a ring with the dough, following the shape of the pan.
10. Make another one over this hoop.
11. At this stage, if you prefer to use chopped almonds, place half on top of the dough.
12. Bake in a low oven for 40 minutes.

Preparation Method Filling

1. Crumble the cookies and set aside.
2. In a mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff.
3. In a pan, place the sugar, place over low heat and let it melt until it acquires a golden color.
4. Carefully add ½ cup of water little by little and bring to a boil.
5. Add this syrup in a thin stream to the egg whites and continue beating until you get a creamy consistency.
6. Separately, beat the butter and the remaining almonds and mix into the egg whites.
7. Moisten the prepared and reserved biscuit with rum and mix with the other filling ingredients.

Assembly

1. Remove the dough from the oven and separate it into two halves using a long-bladed knife or scissors.
2. Let cool.
3. Place half of the filling on the bottom and pass the rest through the piping nozzle, decorating the sides.
4. Cover with the top half.
5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Mom’s Tips

Almonds can be found in good supermarkets or confectionery stores/houses.

Yields approximately 6 servings.