Pithiviers

Almonds, butter and flakey puff pastry...  maybe food is love, after all?

Pithiviers is a specialty in Pithviers in the Orleans region of France. Pronounced [pee-tee-VYAY], this treat is typically made from two layers of round, scalloped puff pastry filled with almond cream.

Pithiviers:

• 500g classic puff pastry (see dough section)

• 1 egg, beaten to glaze

Almond creme:

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• 3 tbsp sugar

• 1/4 cup ground almonds

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp flour

• 2 tsp rum (optional - I skipped this)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the dough into two pieces and roll each out into an 8" square. Place on waxed paper and chill.

To make the almond creme, beat the butter and sugar together then add the almonds and egg. Mix well. Stir in the flour and the rum. Chill.

On one sheet of pastry, draw a 5" circle without cutting through the pastry. Brush around the imprint with the beaten egg. Fill the inner circle with an almond creme dome.