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1 hr 30 min
1 hr 30 min
2.5 from 2 reviews
This is one of my favorite pastries to make when hosting friends and family—it’s incredibly easy, can be made in advance, and just needs to be baked when the guests arrive for maximum wow factor! The dough is a quick puff pastry, and I know it might sound intimidating, but it only takes 5 minutes and is super straightforward. After trying it with store-bought puff pastry, trust me—nothing compares to homemade puff pastry. That’s the secret here. The almond cream is just as easy—it doesn’t require any cooking, you simply mix everything together and add it to the pastry. And the cranberries? They’re a magical addition, bringing a perfect balance of sweetness, tartness, and a bit of sourness that rounds out the entire flavor profile. You can always swap in other seasonal fruits, but for Thanksgiving, cranberries are the way to go.
Make the dough- combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the cubed butter and use your fingers to smash the butter into the flour, working quickly until some of the butter is broken down and the rest remains in small, pea-sized chunks.
Add iced water and mix just until the dough comes together into a rough ball (you might not need all the water, so add slowly). Remove from the bowl and transfer to a floured work surface.
Roll the dough into a rectangle measuring 12 inches long and 6 inches wide. Fold one-third of the dough toward the center, then fold the remaining third over the folded section, creating three layers. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so it lies in front of you like a book (opening from right to left). Repeat the process of rolling it into a long rectangle and folding it into three layers. Perform a total of 5 rollings and 5 foldings. Place in the fridge for at least 30 min (up to 3 days in the fridge, and 2 months in the freezer).
In the meantime, make the almond filling- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until fully combined and smooth.
Prepare the cranberries: In a small pot, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Add the cranberries and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer the cranberries to a flat plate and let them cool to room temperature.
Remove the dough from the fridge and roll the dough into a rectangle measuring 12 inches long and 6 inches wide.
Add the almond cream in the middle of the sheeted dough leaving clean 2 inches edges from all sides. Top the almond cream with the cranberries.
Cut the sides of the dough into strips, creating “ribbons,” and braid them in a crisscross pattern like a lattice to help secure the filling inside. Transfer to a baking tray (lined with parchment paper).
Place in the fridge while preheating the oven to 380°F or 190°C.
Once the oven is ready, remove the pastry from the fridge, brush with egg wash, top with sliced almonds, and bake for 35-40 min.
Remove from the oven and drizzle with simple syrup to your desired level of sweetness. Let it cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Top with powdered sugar, slice, and serve!
YASSS!
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