Raspberry Almond Thins
Ingredients
Makes about 26 biscuits
(13 sandwiches)
FOR THE ALMOND THINS
30g blanched almonds (or ground almonds)
70g caster sugar (or Rose Sugar, see below)
110g unsalted butter, softened, in pieces
150g plain flour, sifted, plus more to dust
FOR THE CRÈME PATISSIERE
½ quantity Crème Pâtissière
1 vanilla pod, or 2 tsp vanilla extract 300ml whole milk
4 egg yolks
100g golden caster sugar
50g plain flour
a few knobs of unsalted butter
100ml double cream
FOR THE TOPPING
350g raspberries
icing sugar (or Rose Icing
Sugar), to dust
TOOLS
5.5cm round fluted cutter
These are quite delicious biscuits for a posh summer picnic. The biscuits can be made and frozen, unbaked, in advance, but once filled need to be served within a couple of hours, or they will soften.
They are great with a cup of tea, or to accompany fruits, fools and syllabubs all summer long.
If you don't want to make the pastry cream, use 250ml lightly whipped cream, mascarpone or crème fraîche instead, flavoured with the seeds from halt a vanilla pod.
Line two baking trays with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/375°F/ gas mark 5. If using blanched almonds, scatter on a baking tray and roast for five minutes, or until light gold. Set aside to cool. Place the nuts and sugar in a food processor and blitz until fine (stop before it turns oily). Add the butter, blend, then add the flour. If using ground almonds, simply mix with the sugar, butter and flour.
Turn the dough on to a lightly floured board and roll out to about 3mm thick. Using the cutter, cut out the biscuits and place on the prepared trays. Re-roll the dough and continue until it has all been used. At this point, you can freeze the cut-out biscuits.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until just beginning to brown. Cool on the trays for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack. When cold, store in an airtight tin. Make the pastry cream as on page 12.
Top half the biscuits with a spoonful of the pastry cream and six or so raspberries. Spoon on a little more pastry cream and sandwich another biscuit on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
FOR THE CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE
To make the crème pâtissière, split the vanilla pod lengthways, if using, and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife. Place the pod and seeds in a saucepan with the milk and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for 10 minutes to infuse. If using vanilla extract, add it now.
In a food mixer (or using a bowl and a hand-held electric whisk), whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale, frothy and slightly thickened. Sift over the flour and mix it in thoroughly.
Remove the vanilla pod from the milk, if using, then reheat the milk until steaming, but not boiling. Pour about half on to the egg mixture, whisking as you do so.
Next, pour the egg mixture into the milk pan and, stirring constantly with a small whisk (scraping the sides down well), bring to a boil over a gentle heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken into a custard. Pour into a clean bowl and dot with butter, to prevent a skin forming.
Cover with cling film directly on the surface of the crème pâtissière and leave to cool down completely.
Whip the cream until slightly thickened. Loosen up the crème patissière by whisking it, then fold in the cream.
ROSE OR LAVENDER ICING OR CASTER SUGARS
I always have jars of these. I find them invaluable in summer baking, and they keep for months. Use sparingly and to taste.
Pick a large handful of unsprayed, dry, scented rose petals (remove the white ends) or 12 lavender heads. Lay them on kitchen paper on a tray to dry out for a day. Place in a food processor with 550g of sifted icing sugar, or caster sugar. Blend until fine. Store for at least one week for the flavours to develop, then sift. Keep, in an airtight container in a dark, cool place.