Cherry Bakewell Almond Croissant Twists

The pure magic that occurs when you smash a cherry bakewell together with an almond croissant...

40 minutes prep

20 minutes cook

Serves 6-8

Nell Carter

Ingredients

Almond frangipane:

75gunsalted butter

75g caster sugar

1egg

75gground almonds

pinch salt

Cherry almond twists:

2pre-rolled sheets puff pastry

3 tbspcherry jam

10fresh cherries, pitted and halved

2 tbspflaked almonds

icing sugar, for dusting

Flaky pastry twisted with rich almond paste, tangy cherry jam and juicy black cherries. This is one for the sweet tooths - the ultimate weekend breakfast pastry.

Method

To make the frangipane, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, then fold in the ground almonds, almond extract, and a pinch of salt. Chill the mixture for 15–30 minutes to firm up.

While the frangipane chills, prepare the cherries by halving and drying them with kitchen paper. Stir the jam to loosen slightly.

Take the puff pastry from the fridge just before assembling. Lay it out on a lightly floured surface or sheet of baking paper. Spread the jam thinly over one half of the pastry. Spoon over the frangipane in an even layer, keeping it about half a centimetre thick. Dot the cherry halves evenly over the top.

Fold the other half of the pastry over the filling and press gently to seal. Chill the folded pastry in the fridge for 10–15 minutes to firm up before cutting.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Slice the pastry into strips around 3cm wide. Twist each strip a couple of times and lay onto a lined baking tray. Press on flaked almonds if using.

Bake for around 20 minutes until golden and crisp. Let cool slightly, then dust with icing sugar. They're best eaten the day they're made, but they can be refreshed in a warm oven the next day.