Mandel Kranser Almond Crowns

Scandinavian cookie, delicious! Posted for Zaar World Tour II '06

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Yields: 24-36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1  cup butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  egg yolk
• 2  teaspoons orange zest
• 2  cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (7 ounce) package almond paste
• 1  egg white
• 1⁄4 cup water (for paste mixture)
• 1⁄2 cup  almonds, finely chopped
•  egg wash

Directions

1. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add egg yolk and orange zest.
3. Add flour, don't over mix. If the dough is too crumbly, add a little water.
4. Chill the dough until firm enough to roll out.
5. Combine prepared almond paste with egg white.
6. If the paste is too hard to mix, grate it into the egg white and add enough water to achieve a spreadable consistency.
7. After the dough is chilled, roll out dough nice and thin.
8. Cut the dough into 3-inch strips. Gather extra dough, repeat until dough is used up.
9. Spread almond paste mixture on dough, leaving 1/4-inch free at the top edge. Gently roll up the dough, and place on a cookie sheet, refrigerating until firm.
10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator. Slice roll into 2-inch pieces, and arrange these on the cookie sheet, leaving a little room for spreading.
11. Slice each 2-inch roll every 1/4-inch or so from the top down leaving about a 1/4-inch uncut at the bottom.
12. Gently pull down the ends to form a crown shape. Brush each cookie with an egg wash, and sprinkle with almonds. If you prefer, use pearl sugar, for a glittering effect.
13. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until pale golden in color, remove and cool.