When I moved to this country (Holland) a million years ago, it was a very tough time for me. The language was different which is, I think one of the many things that I kind of didn’t predict being such a big deal. It was! Months and years of smiling idiotically while people around you said things you didn’t understand felt horrible. And even today, not fully being able to express yourself in a language you have been speaking for ten years is frustrating.
And then there was the dreaded weather. My father warned me before I left that (at least) on paper it was said that Holland only had 21 days of sunshine??!! Coming from New Delhi, India which has all year round 24/7 blazing sun that might have been a problem. Except that my dad doesn’t realise what a somber little creature I am. I love the dark and I love rainy days. Bingo, at least that was a pro in my corner.
The food was so immensely different back then and barely an Indian store in sight. No Bollywood movies?? And not a friend to turn to. And no work because of my foreigner status. They were and sometimes still are very hard days.
But then come fall, there was this amazing treat in the grocery stores called ‘amandelstaaf’ which is a delicious almond paste sweet candy like thing stuffed into puff pastry. This roll (the form it usually comes in), my friends, saved me in the winter months. I honestly got fat on it!
Not unlike a strudel but we call it a staaf here which translated really means a bar or rod. It is so creamy and so crunchy. And honestly it is the easiest thing you will make. Looks gorgeous and you WILL impress your friends. I guarantee it!
I just made a slight adjustment to this classic Dutch sweet treat by adding my favourite ingredient. I needed to make it slightly Indian. And it tastes delicious… thus just a smidgen of cardamom.
You can make your own almond paste (super easy) or if you live in Holland just go buy it in the supermarket. Even easier. 🙂
- For the almond paste
- 250 grams almonds, without skin
- 250 grams sugar
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 lemon
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- Sheets of puff pastry, thawed (I used 4 because at my grocery store you get these square sheets. You might however need 2 if yours are big rectangular sheets)
- 250 grams almond paste
- 1 egg, whisked
- handful of skinned almond slices for decoration
- Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F.
- To prepare the almond spice, wash the lemon and dry it. Grate the rind off and grind with the almonds till very fine, in your kitchen machine. Add the sugar and grind again till extremely fine. Squeeze the juice of the lemon and mix with the almond sugar. Add the whisked egg and mix till you get a smooth paste. Lastly add the cardamom powder.
- Put the almond spice paste in a clean box and let sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Overnight is better.
- On a lightly floured surface roll out your puff pastry as thin as you can.
- Take the almond spice from the refrigerator and make a roll around 1 inch thick. It needs to be shorter in width than your rolled out puff pastry sheet.
- Place the almond spice roll on the dough and fold the pastry around it, till it comes together.
- Now take both ends and bring them together forming an 'O' or a wreath. Make the ends stick by adding a little water.
- Place the wreath on a baking sheet lined by parchment paper.
- Brush the entire wreath with egg and throw on the almond slices on top.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or till your wreath is nice and brown.
- Serve with tea!
Kahlua Spiced Gingerbread Cake
Vegan Atta Nankhatai / Cardamom Cookies
Upside Down Orange Cake
WOW! so so beautiful and i bet it tastes amazing <3
Thank you so much Laura and Nora. Merry Xmas! <3
I can only imagine the struggles that come with moving to a foreign country… must’ve been a huge adjustment for you. But look at the bright side- we wouldn’t have you and this lovely blog! You have channeled it all very well, my friend. And this recipe, it’s beautiful. xoxo
What wonderful words Emilie, thank you so much! I have to say that my years of struggling in a new country were made much easier with friends like you. I may never have met you but you and the blogger community my friend have been a great support. 🙂
Oh girl, I feel ya. I’ve gone through this especially with food. Everything was so foreign, and I had no clue how to cook. Those days. I’m so glad you love that weather.
I loved reading through this and post and most importantly, love this wreath in all it’s yumminess. Almonds paste is one of my favorite stuffing in desserts and this sounds ridic yum.
Love it.
Merriest Christmas to you my dear!!
xoxo
It has been hard Asha but I think food saved me. 🙂 Learning and discovering the most wonderful recipes not only in the Indian kitchen has helped me greatly here. And lets not forget the support and love that I get from dear friends like you. Merry merry Christmas to you and yours darling! <3
Never heard of this treat before but it sure does sound quite rich and festive!
I had never heard of this treat before I moved here Kankana. I have been buying it for years at the supermarket and honestly only this year decided to make it myself. It is sooo incredibly simple to make and is just delicious! 🙂
Wow, I can relate so much to this! My family moved from The USA to Chile a little over 2 years ago and the adjustment can be so much harder than words. It’s so encouraging to hear about your experience. Also, this recipe sounds incredible. My grandmother is Norwegian so this sounds very similar to one of the recipes she likes to make for Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
Moving to Chile must have been hard for you too Tori! And a new language for you too. I seriously never imagined that language would be such an issue. Food and my discovery of it was a life saver to me. I hope you are settling in. In many ways it is hard but also very exciting to move to a new country.
AND I am sure your grandma makes something very similar to this wreath. All over Europe you have all sorts of dishes that are so similar to each other. I hope you have great Xmas and a wonderful 2016! xoxo
so true…it’s so difficult to adjust in a new country but I am glad you loved the weather! This wreath looks beautiful Rakhee! Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas! xoxo
Thank you Manali! Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas! <3
I just can not imagine how difficult it must be to move to a new country. All the adjustments, the new language and different customs. It must be quite an ordeal, and yet at the same time an exhilarating adventure. And then there’s the food – what fun it must be to explore. This sounds just delicious. For an almond fan like myself, this is heaven on earth. Thank you for passing this on along. And compliments to you on some truly glorious photographs. This is my first visit to your site, and I will surely be back. Best wishes for a joyous holiday season and a brilliant 2016 to you and yours.
Thank you so much for coming by my space Adri! If you are an almond fan I can assure you this wreath is going to be your thing! It is absolutely delicious. 🙂
I hope too that you and your loved ones have a wonderful 2016. <3
This looks scrumptious. Nice photos too ♥
summerdaisy.net
Thank you so much Summer! <3