Almond and Raisin Curls

Lately, I have been reflecting on what I have learned over the past few months, which really comes down to take the good with the bad, smile when you are sad, love what you’ve got and remember what you had. Always forgive, but not forget, learn from your mistakes but never regret. People change, things go wrong but life goes on.

Almond and Raisin Curls is between a biscuit and a bread really. It’s a little this, a little that just like my mantra for the month. And it being a new recipe adapted from the book “Company’s coming” I was making changes along the way. So I made this recipe twice back to back today, until I got the look and taste I had in mind.

I love the cream cheese, brown sugar and toasted almond combination with the biscotti crunch on a bread. It’s not too sweet, not too soft .. it’s a perfect tea time accompaniment.

Happy baking ❤️

Ingredients:

Cream cheese softened – 100 g

Light brown sugar – 1/4 cup

Cinnamon – 1 tsp

All purpose flour – 2 cups

Granulated sugar – 2 tbsp

Baking powder – 4 tsp

Salt – 3/4 tsp

Cold cubed unsalted butter – 1/4 cup

Milk – 3/4 cup approximately

Toasted chopped almonds – 1/3 cup

Raisins – 1/3 cup

Almond Glaze

Ingredients:

Confectioners sugar – 1/2 cup

Milk – 1 tbsp

Almond extract – 1/4 tsp

Method :

Preheat oven to 220 C.

Beat the cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Keep aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Rub in butter into the flour mix until it resembles bread crumbs. Add milk until you get a soft dough . Turn it onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10×14 inch rectangle. Spread with the cream cheese filling and sprinkle the almonds and raisins leaving a 1 inch gap on all sides.

Roll up, (jelly roll style) from the long side. Place seam-side down. Trim ends off on either side. Cut it evenly and uniformly. ( Approx. 14 pieces )

On a lightly greased cookie sheet place these 14 pieces ( give an egg wash: brush with egg yolk, if you want a more golden colour ) and bake for 12 – 15 mins until golden.

Combine the glaze ingredients using a spoon and drizzle over the Almond and Raisin curls.

Add a pinch of love ❤️ :

Use walnuts or pecans instead of almonds and add 1/3 cup of red glazed cherries to the filling too. For the adventurous bakers, shape the roll into a ring and cut the outside edge to within 1 inch of center, turn each wedge on its side in the same direction, allowing them to overlap.

xoxo,

Sareeka ❤️