Almond Pastry Ring

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 1 (7 oz.) box almond paste
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup almonds, sliced or slivered, divided
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• powdered sugar, optional

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400º F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl or mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and lightened in color, 2-3 minutes, then mix in almond paste, and vanilla and almond extracts until smooth.
3. Unfold puff pastry on lined baking sheet, and roll it out so it’s smooth and stretched out a little. You should be facing the long end of the pastry.
4. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut thin strips along the long end that go 2/3 of the way up the pastry, leaving a long, horizontal strip of pastry where the almond filling will go.
5. Optional: cut a thin strip of puff pastry initially to later wrap around log where the two ends meet.
6. In that horizontal space, place your almond filling, stretching it out almost to the sides. Carefully pick up the long edge farthest away from you and fold it over the filling, continuing to roll over the vertical strips, so you have a log where the strips create ridges.
7. Gently seal the edges of the log, then form the log into a circle, carefully overlapping the edges and pressing them together to seal.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water, then brush mixture over the almond wreath. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top and place baking sheet in oven.
9. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375º and bake for another 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.