If you love almond flavours then give these sweet almond rolls a try. Flaky puff pastry on the outside wrapped around a log of homemade almond paste, these are a perfect easy recipe for pastry lovers!
When I was a child my mum used to make beautiful almond rolls every year. The pastry was homemade ruff puff pastry and the filling was a homemade almond paste. I love almond flavours and my mum's almond rolls were a recipe I looked forward to every year.
So, it may come as a surprise that I hadn't ever attempted to make them myself until now. I suppose having a husband who hates marzipan and does not like almonds does not help. Sometimes his tastes are incomprehensible to me and I'm sure he'd say the same about mine! He most definitely did not want to eat these almond rolls and so there were plenty for me!
What ingredients do you need for almond rolls?
To make these sweet almond pastries you'll need:
- Caster sugar
- Icing sugar
- Ground almonds
- Egg
- Almond extract
- Ready rolled puff pastry
And for the glaze you'll need:
- Icing sugar
- Almond extract - This can be replaced with lemon juice plus less water
- Water
What kind of pastry to use for Almond Rolls
I decided to take a shortcut and use ready rolled puff pastry but if you'd like to make your own then do take a look at this ruff puff pastry recipe. Personally I find that life is so busy at Christmas that if I want to do some festive baking, I want it be simple. Most of the puff pastry you can buy is a really good quality and it's a shortcut I'm happy to take!
Of course, you could also make them with homemade shortcrust pastry.
Is almond paste easy to make?
Yes! It is actually incredibly easy to make. It's just a case of mixing together all the right ingredients. To make almond paste you need ground almonds, caster sugar, icing sugar, egg and a little almond extract just to really bring out the almond flavour.
Of course, if you want to make these with some ready made marzipan, then please do.
The great thing about making your own almond paste is that you can put as much extra almond flavour in as you want. You can even experiment with other flavourings such as lemon or orange.
What are these almond rolls glazed with?
I make a simple almond icing to go on top of the almond rolls as it gives them a lovely strong almond taste but you could also use different flavours. Lemon would go nicely or even some vanilla.
How else can you adapt these sweet puff pastry rolls?
Well, if you want to be really creative why not change them into another kind of sweet nutty roll? How about grinding up your own pistachios or hazelnuts and making the homemade marzipan with that instead of ground almonds?
I think these would be absolutely delicious made with pistachios!
How long can you keep these almond rolls?
These almond rolls will keep for about a week stored in an airtight container. However, you can make them in bulk and freeze them. If you do this then bake them after freezing them. You can bake them from frozen but will need to add on a few minutes extra to the cooking time.
More sweet Christmas recipes
Or these easy mince pies with shortbread pastry? This Indian cashew nut fudge is also a great recipe that I love at Christmas time.
Finally, if you like nuts you should definitely check out my easy caramelised pecans!
Recipe
Almond Rolls
Ingredients
- 85 g caster sugar
- 140 g icing sugar
- 225 g ground almond
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 320 g ready rolled puff pastry
For the Glaze
- 80 g icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Put the caster sugar, icing sugar, ground almonds, egg and almond extract in a bowl and stir with a fork to form a dough. Use your hands at the end.
- Divide the mixture into three equal amounts.
- Unroll the puff pastry. Cut into three equal sized rectangles.
- Roll the almond paste between your hands to get sausage shapes as long as the puff pastry.
- Put the almond paste sausages on the pastry and roll up. Dampen the pastry with a little water along one side to help it stick. Cut each one into 5 pieces.
- Place the almond rolls on a baking tray and bake int the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden on top. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
- Make the glaze by mixing the icing sugar, almond extract and a little water together. Be careful not to add too much water as it will be too runny. Use a spoon to drizzle a little of the glaze on each almond roll.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin for Later!
Sheila
I was lucky to receive some almond rolls from a friend last Christmas and now would like to explore the idea of making my own. Thus, I am so excited to find this recipe and I can't wait to try it. Thank you for sharing.
Corina Blum
I'm so pleased you want to make them. They really are easy to make so do let me know if you like these ones.
Lathiya
Amazing recipe and such an easy recipe..definitely a crowd pleaser
Corina
Thanks Lathiya! I know I have a real weakness for puff pastry and anything with marzipan or almonds in so I'm so pleased I'm not alone.
Priya Joshi
Oh these look amazing! I might give them a go this weekend with a little cherry jam for a 'bakewell' roll type filling ! Thanks for introducing these to us... #cookblogshare
Corina
That's a great idea Priya! I'll have to try them with jam in too next time. I love bakewell so thanks so much for the idea!
Sonia
I cannot wait to make these - they sound so delicious and are sure to fill the house with wonderful aromas!
Corina
Oh they do! They smell really Christmassy too.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
These look amazing...I am a huge fan of almond croissants so I'm sure I'd love these. Love your easy peasy recipe for the almond filling too - in fact the whole of this recipe is very easy...I think it could be a fun one to make with the kids! Eb x
Corina
I'm sure your kids would love making them Eb! They really are so easy x
Kate - gluten free alchemist
I never buy marzipan anymore.... always make my own! Absolutely love the stuff. Adore almond pastries too, but rarely get to eat them....... I wish I could devour a whole batch of your gorgeous treats x
Corina
Now that I know how easy marzipan is I'll definitely make my own more in future too! I'm so pleased you like these Kate x
Alison's Allspice
I love almond desserts! I used to get rolls like this a local bakery, now I can't wait to try making them myself!
Corina
Almond flavours are delicious aren't they? I hope you enjoy these.
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
I'm a huge huge HUGE fan of marzipan / almond paste too Corina, and just like your husband mine doesn't like it either! I love the sound of your little almond rolls - flaky pastry and marzipan in one treat - absolute heaven! Thankyou so much for joining in with #BakingCrumbs
Angela x
Corina
Thanks Angela! I could quite happily just eat marzipan by itself - I love it! I was actually a little disappointed that I had just the right amount of almond paste when I made these. I was hoping to have a little left over to eat by itself! x
Monika Dabrowski
I love the idea of making your own almond paste, and it sounds so easy too. These little almond rolls are just gorgeous! Thanks for bringing them to #CookBlogShare:)
Corina
I'm so pleased you like them Monika! x