Almond Butterhorns

Almond Butterhorns

Good morning! I hope that your week is off to a great start. Did you have a good weekend? Mine was busy, I spent the entire day in my closet purging. I often clean it out and donate things but I have never taken every piece out of the closet and tried each piece on. I did not Marie Kondo it because I have never read the book(am I the only one) but I did make a criteria for myself, does it fit, does it look good, do I like it, do I wear it? Needless to say I have 9 garbage bags of stuff to give to my sister, niece and to donate. 

In between cleaning the closet I baked some tasty treats, both were made using recipes that you make the dough the night before and let it raise/proof overnight in the refrigerator. The first, these Almond Butter Horns were delicious! In fact I ate 3 just after they cooled enough not to burn my mouth. They are rich, buttery, and to me they taste like my all time favorite breakfast pastry almond bear claws.

You could make a batch for Mother’s day or for yourself but whatever you do you will want to share because otherwise you will eat them all! After I ate three I packaged these up and gave them away. 

Almond Butterhorns

Recipe from The Baking Blond

Ingredients

Dough

4 cups of unbleached flour

1 cup butter or margarine

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons sugar

2-3/4 cup milk

2 cakes of compressed yeast or 2 packages of instant dry yeast

4 egg yolks well beaten

1 teaspoon almond extract

Almond Filling

1-1/2 cup light brown sugar packed

1/2 cup chopped almonds

3 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Frosting

1-1/2 cups of confectioners sugar

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

4 Tablespoon heaving cream

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup sliced almonds for garnish

Directions

Dough

Make the dough the day before. Place the flour, salt, sugar and butter into large glass bowl and cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. Do this until the mixture resembles small peas. place the lukewarm milk in a glass measuring cup, the add the yeast, stir to dissolve, the add the beaten egg yolks and the almond extract. Slowly pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and lightly mix, do not over-mix this. The mixture will be wet. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning or when ready to use, divide the dough into four equal parts. Roll each section on a lightly floured surface to a 12″ circle. Cut each circle into 12 wedge shaped portions with a pizza cutter or a pastry wheel. Place a teaspoon of filling on the wide part of the dough and roll each wedge, starting at the wide end, and roll jelly roll style to the point. Arrange the roll with the point side down onto a baking sheet lined with a non-stick baking mat or parchment paper. Let the rolls raise in a warm room for about an hour. I use my oven for this, I turn on the oven to 175 then turn it off and place the trays inside to raise. Continue until all the rolls are made.

After the rolls raise, bake them for 10-12 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven until just light brown. While they are still warm, not hot, frost with the frosting and sprinkle with the sliced almonds.

For the filling:

Combine all filling ingredients in a food processor or a bowl and mix until a paste.

For the frosting:

Mix frosting ingredients until creamy.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, sit down and enjoy one or two or even three of the tasty treats.

Have a great day!