Cookbooks
Never Say Never to Dolce
A brand-new collection of 50 approachable homemade desserts – from iconic Cannoli to Dolci al Cucchiaio and more – that proves there’s always room for a little sweetness.
Manuela’s Sweet Temptations
A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.
The Complete Italian Cookbook: Essential Regional Cooking of Italy
A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.
Almond Swirl Pastries (Girelle alle Mandorle)
Crispy and buttery puff pastries swirls filled with frangipane and topped with almond slices Easy to make and easier to eat!
It goes without saying that I loooove almond desserts! You probably have guessed it by the many recipes with almonds that I posted on the blog: Italian almond cookies, traditional almond biscotti, Italian almond tart, almond and plum cake, sweet almond ravioli, almond-poppyseeds muffins … to name a few!
And today I present you with a NEW recipes with almonds: crispy puff pastry swirls, filled with almond cream and topped with more crunchy almond slices. Take a look!
These “girelle alle mandorle” (almond filled swirl pastries) are made with store bought puff pastry (so versatile and convenient!), and a few simple ingredients.
They only take about 30 minutes of your time. Perfect for breakfast or snack time.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when making this recipe.
You can make your own puff pastry, but I like to use store-bought pastry which is a lot more convenient and gives perfect results every time! You can buy refrigerated or frozen puff pastry.
Make sure to defrost (if frozen), work quickly once defrosted, and refrigerate for a bit before baking for the best results!
Make the frangipane in one bowl. Roll out the puff pastry sheets (if needed) into two rectangles. I sprinkled the counter with a little bit of sugar so the pastry wouldn’t stick to the counter.
Spread the almond filling onto one sheet. Cover with the second sheet and place in the refrigerator.
If you are short in time you can skip the refrigeration. BUT the filling is super soft and will spread out of the strips when cutting. Not a big problem, but it’s just a little messy.
Cut along the long side into strips about 1 inch wide. I roll out my puff pastry into a 12 by 8 inch rectangle. So each strip turns out 1 inch by 12 inches.
Twist the strip onto itself, while rolling into a swirl directly onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Don’t roll the swirls too tight (you want the pastries to puff up and fully cook in the middle part too!). And tuck the ending under the swirl so it stays in place.
And leave lots of room between pastries on the baking sheet (I only have 4 pastries in one baking pan).
Make sure to check out my video to see how easy that is!
Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with almond slices – as many as you wish!
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. I started at 400F to get the nice puff a the beginning and lowered the temperature (without opening the oven) to 350F after the first 10 minutes, to make sure the pastries turned out full cooked inside and nice deep golden on the outside.
Other Sweet Breakfast recipes you might like:
Vanilla and Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake
Ready to try it too?!
Here is my step-by-step easy recipe!
Almond Swirl Pastries (Girelle alle Mandorle)
Crispy and buttery puff pastries swirls filled with frangipane and topped with almond slices Easy to make and easier to eat!
Servings:
8
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Resting Time
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted
- 2 oz (56 gr) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (55 gr) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (50 gr) sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for counter
- 2 eggs, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- almond slices, to sprinkle on top
- powdered sugar, to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the butter, almond flour and sugar. And mix until well blended.
- Add the almond extract, if using, and 1 whole egg and 1 egg white. Save 1 egg yolk for later. Mix well.
- On the counter, sprinkle some sugar and roll out the two sheets of puff pastry, if needed, into rectangles about 8 x 12 inches. Spread the almond cream on one puff pastry sheet and cover with the other sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until ready to bake.
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Cut the prepared pastry into long strips, about 1 inch wide (and 12 inches long). Twist each strip on itself a few times, and roll them loosely into swirls/buns onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave a lot of room between pastries. And don’t swirl the pastries too tight, so the puff pastry can puff up in the middle part too.
- Whisk 1 tablespoon of water with the egg yolk you set aside. And brush the pastries. Sprinkle with almond slices and bake for 10 minutes at 400F. Lower the temperature to 350F and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, until golden and fully cooked. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
