Recipe - Dutch Letters

4 cup Flour
One half teaspoon Baking powder; (optional)
1 pound Butter
1 cup Cold water
1 pound Almond paste
2 cup Granulated sugar; (plus
additional sugar for
sprinkling)
3 Whole eggs; slightly beaten
2 Additional egg whites;
slightly beaten
1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract;
(optional)

I saw a recipe for Dutch Letters here so had to add mine, which is a little
bit different. This is a great recipe someone gave me years ago on the
list. (Thanks again, Teasel!) They're very sweet, but very impressive, and
most folks just love them. I like to shape them into either the letters of
the people's names, or for whatever group or occasiont I'm serving them at.

N. B.: You must prepare the pastry and filling at least 24 hours before you
intend to bake the pastries.

~ Make the dough: . Sift together flour and baking powder. . Cut in butter
until mixture resembles cornmeal. . Add cold water. Mix until smooth and
consistency of pastry dough. . Cover and refrigerate overnight (or longer).

~ Make the filling: . Beat almond paste until smooth. . Add 2 cups of the
sugar. Continue mixing until smooth. (If possible, use a blender or food
processor for this step.) . Add the 3 whole eggs and the vanilla extract. .
Mix until thoroughly blended. . Cover and refrigerate overnight (or
longer).

~ Assemble and Bake: . When ready to bake the pastries, preheat oven to
400 degrees F. if making 14 pastries, or 425 degrees F. if making 8. .
Butter cookie sheets. Set aside. . Remove filling from refrigerator and
allow to come to room temperature. . Remove dough from refrigerator, and
divide into either 8 or 14 equal parts. . For each part:

~ Shape into a ball. Roll into a very large rectangle. (The pastry should
be almost paperthin. For 14 parts, this will be approximately 14 x 4.5
inches long ... For eight parts, it will be almost twice that size.)
Divide filling into 8 or 14 portions (depending upon number of pastries
you're going to make.) Drop small dollops of filling over pastry and
carefully and evenly spread with spatula. (Both filling and pastry will
tear easily.) Roll up jelly roll fashion (beginning at long side.) If
pastry is too delicate, simply fold both sides up over filling. Pinch
ends shut. Shape into letter (or leave in one long strip). Place seam
side down on greased cookie sheet. Brush with slightly beaten egg whites.
~ Sprinkle sugar evenly over top of pastry. Prick with fork every 2
inches to allow steam to escape. Bake 25 30 minutes.

Yield: 8 14 pastries

NOTES: These can be made ahead and frozen either before or after baking.

Posted to EATL Digest by Elizabeth McClenthen irisheyessmiling@JUNO.COM
on Feb 24, 1998