Kerstkrans (Dutch Christmas Almond Wreath)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Baking tray, at least 35cm wide
• •Parchment paper
• •Rolling pin
• •Pastry brush
• •Food processor, if grinding whole almonds

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the spijs

   If using whole blanched almonds, grind them finely with the sugar until the mixture looks like pale damp sand. Mix in the lemon zest, one egg, and the almond extract if using. The paste should hold together when pressed but not feel wet. Wrap it and chill for at least one hour; overnight is better, because almonds need time to drink in the egg and lemon.

   Store-bought amandelspijs is acceptable if it is real almond paste, not a vague sweet filling. Knead in a little beaten egg until pliable, then add the lemon zest yourself.
2. 2

   Shape the filling

   Beat the second egg in a small bowl and set it aside for sealing and glazing. Roll the chilled almond paste into one long rope, about 55 to 60 centimetres, tapering the ends slightly so they overlap neatly. If it cracks, knead it once or twice with cool hands. Spijs is forgiving, which is one of its better Dutch qualities.

3. 3

   Roll the pastry

   On a lightly floured surface, roll the cold puff pastry into a long rectangle, roughly 65 by 18 centimetres. Work quickly and keep the pastry cool; butter that softens before the oven has lost the argument. Lay the almond rope along the lower third of the pastry.

4. 4

   Form the wreath

   Brush the far edge of the pastry with beaten egg, then roll the pastry around the almond paste into a long sealed cylinder. Put the seam underneath. Bring the ends together into a ring on a parchment-lined baking tray, tucking one end slightly into the other and sealing with more egg. Cut three or four tiny slits on the underside if the pastry feels very tight; the filling needs a whisper of room, not an escape route.

5. 5

   Chill and glaze

   Chill the shaped wreath for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 200C. Brush the top with beaten egg, then scatter over the sliced almonds. Cold pastry in a hot oven gives you lift; warm pastry in a warm kitchen gives you regret. This is not philosophy, just butter.

6. 6

   Bake the krans

   Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden, risen in clear flaky layers, and firm on the underside when lifted gently with a spatula. If the top colours too quickly, lower the oven to 180C for the last ten minutes. Let the wreath cool on the tray for 15 minutes before decorating.

7. 7

   Finish for Kerst

   Warm the apricot jam with the water until loose, then brush it over the cooled wreath so the surface shines. Dot the top with candied cherry halves and thin strips of candied citrus peel. Serve in generous slices with coffee, tea, or a small glass of something stronger if the presents have required diplomacy.

Chef Tips

• •Use all-butter puff pastry. Margarine pastry may rise, but it leaves the mouth dull and the whole krans tastes like a shop window that has been open too long.
• •Rest the almond paste if you can. Freshly mixed spijs is grainy and loud with sugar; after a night in the refrigerator it becomes smoother, calmer, and more itself.
• •Do not overfill the wreath with decoration. Candied cherry and citrus peel belong here, but the krans should still look like pastry first, not a Christmas tree that lost a quarrel.
• •If the pastry splits, don't panic. Brush the crack lightly with egg and press it closed before baking. A small baked crack only proves almond paste was inside doing what almond paste does.

Advance Preparation

• •The almond paste can be made up to three days ahead and kept wrapped in the refrigerator.
• •The shaped wreath can be assembled, covered, and chilled up to eight hours before baking.
• •Best eaten the day it is baked; leftovers keep two days covered at room temperature and revive well in a low oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 150g)