Apricot Almond Twists

[kirra]

Apricot Almond Twists
Mary Allen; Honorable Mention: National Festival Bread Week 2009

I took a roll recipe I have made for a long time and modified it by using ricotta cheese, whole wheat flour and reduced the fat and salt. We enjoy the flavor combination of apricots and almonds, so the almond sugar was a natural addition.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1/4 cup dried apricots, snipped to 1/8‐inch dice
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup part‐skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup warm water (100° ‐ 110°F)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 package Fleischmann’s® Active Dry Yeast
1/4 cup warm water (100° ‐ 110°F)
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All‐Purpose Flour, divided
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached White Whole Wheat Flour, divided

Filling:

1/2 cup (3 ounces) almond paste
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup apricot jam

Preparation:

In a small bowl, pour boiling water over diced apricots. Cover and cool.
In 1‐quart saucepan, heat ricotta cheese, water, and sugar over low heat, until bubbles begin to form around the edge. Remove from heat and stir in butter, salt, and apricots. Cool 10 minutes; stir in egg.

In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in ¼ cup warm water; let sit 5 minutes.

Stir the cooled cheese and apricot mixture into the yeast. Beat in 1 cup all‐purpose flour and 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour; beat 2 minutes. (The dough will be sticky.)

Sprinkle work surface with part of the remaining ½ cup whole wheat flour; turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 – 8 minutes. (Add only enough flour to prevent sticking, as too much flour will produce dry rolls.) Place dough in greased bowl; turn to coat. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double.

Filling:
To toast almonds, preheat oven to 350°F. Spread chopped almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Toast almonds 8 to 10 minutes, stirring twice during baking, until almonds are aromatic and lightly browned. In work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine almond
paste, 1/3 cup sugar, almonds, and almond extract. Pulse until medium‐fine almond sugar is produced.

Pour almond sugar into a shallow pan. (Alternatively, you can combine the sugar and almonds in a deep bowl. Using a pastry blender cut in small pieces of almond paste until the mixture is medium‐fine; stir in almond extract.)

Line two 15 x 13‐inch baking sheets with parchment paper. Punch down dough; return to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15 x 6‐inch rectangle. Divide into 5 equal pieces; cut each into 6 strips to make 30 pieces. Roll into 6‐inch ropes.

Brush ropes with beaten egg; roll in almond sugar to coat. Twist each rope 5 times into a spiral, then coil into a knot shape on pan. Cover; let rise about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°F while rolls rise. Make a small depression in the center of each risen roll; fill with a scant 1/2 teaspoon apricot jam. Bake rolls 12 to 15 minutes or until jam is bubbly and rolls are golden brown. Remove rolls to a cooling rack. Serve warm. Makes 30 rolls.

Nutritional Info:
Per serving: One roll provides approximately 128 calories;
3 g protein;
19 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber;
4 g fat (2 g saturated);
23 mg cholesterol;
14 mcg folate; 1 mg iron;
114 mg sodium.