Almond paste ring mentioned in the novel Sophie's World?!
Almond paste ring mentioned in the novel Sophie's World?
Okay, here's the passage: http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:nhw...
In the highlighted section, it mentioned almond paste rings. What exactly does it look like and how do you make it? And can someone tell me more about it?
Answers: This cake is made of almond macaroon rings ranging from about 10 inches in diameter to about 2 inches, stacked in order from the largest on the bottom to the smallest on the top, making an unusual pyramid of cookies. This is the Norwegian Wedding cake, birthday cake, anniversary cake, or baptism cake. It can also be a Christmas cake, or a celebration cake for any other special occasion. The center of the cake is hollow; often a bottle of champagne is placed there when the cake is used for a wedding and the champagne saved for the couple's first anniversary. The cake is traditionally decorated with marzipan flowers or candies affixed to the sides with royal icing, or with little Norwegian flags. For a wedding, the cake may be topped with a beautiful rose. The rings are pressed from a pastry tube into pre-drawn circles.
You can buy kransekake cake forms in Scandinavian import outlets, which make the job much easier!
The traditional cake is made with ground almonds, egg whites, and powdered sugar. Another version is made of butter-cookie dough with almond paste, butter, sugar, egg yolks, and flour. Either version makes a towering cake that will serve about 50 guests (a 2- to 3- inch piece each). Traditionally, the cake is served with a rum cream pudding that is spooned from a cut-glass bowl onto dessert dishes beside the piece of cake.
TRADITIONAL ALMOND PASTE DOUGH: (1)
1 pound blanched whole almonds
1 pound powdered sugar
3 egg whites
Or use the cookie dough recipe
ALMOND BUTTER-COOKIE DOUGH: (2)
2 cups unsalted butter
1 cup almond paste
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
4 egg whites
4 1/2 to 5 cups all purpose flour
ICING FOR TRADITIONAL ALMOND PASTE OR ALMOND BUTTER-COOKIE DOUGH:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
TO MAKE THE TRADITIONAL DOUGH, grind the almonds, using the fine blade of a food chopper. Or, put almonds into the food processor with the steel blade in place and process until finely pulverized. Add the powdered sugar and egg whites, blending until the mixture is a thick paste. Place in a metal bowl over boiling water and stir until the mixture is tepid; this softens the mixture and makes it easier to press through a pastry bag.
Grease baking sheets generously and dust with flour. Mark off 18 rings starting at a diameter of 10 inches and making each subsequent ring 1/4 inch less in diameter, down to 2 inches.
Or, generously grease the flour kransekake ring forms and pipe the mixture into the rings. Place on baking sheets.
Preheat oven to 300 F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. Remove rings from pans while still warm.
TO MAKE THE BUTTER-COOKIE DOUGH, in a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, almond paste, and powdered sugar. Add the almond extract and egg whites and beat until smooth. Add the flour to make a stiff but workable cookie dough. Put dough into pastry bag or cookie press with a round tip.
Follow previous directions for shaping and baking.
TO PREPARE THE ICING, mix together the powdered sugar, egg white, and lemon juice to make a thin icing. Put the icing into a pastry bag with a fine tip.
TO ASSEMBLE THE KRANSEKAKE, mount one ring upon the other, making a tower. Press icing through a pastry bag in a zig-zag pattern on each ring before adding the next. Use the icing to fasten decorations on the cake. Source(s):
http://www.recipe-recipes-message-board.... Kransekake, or Ring Tree Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups soft butter or margarine
8 ounces almond paste
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
4 egg yolks
5 cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
Kransekake, or Ring Tree Cake (actually a tier of cookies), is a festival tradition in Norway. It's served at Christmas because of its gay tree shape, at weddings because of its impressive height, and at anniversary parties because of its many layers (as many rings as years to be celebrated).
First make the 26 paper patterns on which to shape the cookie rings. Use a compass to draw a circle 1-inch in diameter on parchment paper. Make each additional ring 1/4-inch larger than the proceeding one (the largest will be 7-1/4 inches in diameter). Number the patterns to keep them in order.
Beat together 2 cups (1 lb.) soft butter or margarine, 1-cup (8 oz. can or package) almond paste, 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, and 2 teaspoons almond extract until smooth. Beat 4 egg yolks in well. Sift all-purpose flour, measure 5 cups, and add gradually, mixing until very smooth.
Place paper patterns on ungreased baking sheets. With you hands, roll 1/2- inch diameter strands of dough and fit against inside edges of paper patterns; piece coils as needed (or force dough through a pastry bag or cookie press with a 1/2-inch plain tip). Bake in 350-degreee oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until delicately browned. Cool on baking sheet, free rings from paper with a long, thin spatula or knife.
To assemble cake, place largest ring on a flat plate, top with the next largest ring; continue stacking rings in order of the next smaller until you've used all layers. Decorate if you like, with purchased marzipan fruits; stick with small wooden picks and slide picks between layers to hold in place. Lift off rings and break into portions to serve.