Ground almonds, buttery dough, delicate Lotus filling, and a layer of milk chocolate create tender ovals with a refined flavor. This traditional Christmas cookie needs several days to rest, allowing the flavors to blend beautifully.
You can easily divide the preparation over several days. Let the dough rest overnight, store the baked ovals in a sealed box for about a week, and only then fill and decorate them. If you wish, you can scent the dough with lemon zest and top the finished pieces with chopped almonds.
What You Will Need
For the almond dough:
- 220 g plain flour,
- 120 g powdered sugar,
- 150 g butter,
- 2 egg yolks,
- 1 packet vanilla sugar,
- 80 g ground almonds or almond flour,
- lemon zest, optional.
For the filling and finishing:
- Lotus spread,
- softened butter,
- milk chocolate,
- cocoa butter or vegetable shortening,
- chopped almonds.
The original recipe does not specify exact amounts for the filling and finishing, so adjust according to the number of baked ovals and desired consistency.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Mixing the dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine the plain flour, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, and ground almonds or almond flour. Briefly mix to distribute the ingredients evenly in the dough.
2. Preparing the dough: Add the butter, egg yolks, and, if desired, grated lemon zest to the mixture. Knead everything into a smooth, cohesive dough.
3. Resting the dough: Wrap the prepared dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Do not skip this step, as chilled dough will be easier to roll and cut the next day.
4. Rolling and cutting: The next day, divide the dough into two parts and roll them out one at a time. Cut out the desired shapes, such as ovals, and prepare them for baking.
5. Baking: Bake the ovals in an oven preheated to 170°C for about 10–15 minutes. Adjust the baking time according to the size and thickness of each piece to avoid overbaking the cookies.
6. Letting the cookies rest: Place the baked cookies in a sealed box and let them rest for about a week. Only then proceed to filling and final decorating.
7. Preparing the filling and sandwiching: Mix the Lotus spread with softened butter. Use the prepared filling to sandwich together two ovals of the same size, creating neat filled cookies.
8. Chocolate finishing: Melt the milk chocolate with cocoa butter or vegetable shortening. Dip the sandwiched ovals in the chocolate and finally sprinkle with chopped almonds.
How to Divide the Preparation of Almond Ovals
This recipe is designed to be prepared in several stages. On the first day, make the dough and let it rest overnight in the fridge. The next day, roll out, cut, and bake the ovals.
After baking, let the cookies rest for about a week in a sealed box. You can plan the filling with Lotus spread and chocolate dipping for when the ovals are properly rested.
How to Easily Peel Almonds
If you use unpeeled almonds, soak them in hot water for half an hour beforehand. After soaking, the skins will soften and can be easily removed. Chop the peeled almonds and use them to decorate the chocolate layer.
Final Tip
Lemon zest is optional in this recipe, but it adds a gentle, fresh aroma to the almond dough. For the finishing touch, you can mix the milk chocolate with either cocoa butter or vegetable shortening, depending on what you have on hand.
