Almond Horns for the Jewish Pavilion

On Friday, July 19, the residents of Cascade Heights participated in a wonderful tradition that has been ongoing for several years now, baking with the Jewish Pavilion. This year Ben Breslauer, a local pastry chef who used to own Ben’s Bakery in Seminole County, was kind enough to help out and show us how to make his famous Almond Horns. A couple residents of Cascade Heights along with several local volunteers and some members of the Jewish Pavilion came together to create Breslauer’s special treat.

Breslauer brought along most of the ingredients such as pre-made dough, a bag of pre-sliced almonds, and a jar of maraschino cherries and set everything up and then the volunteers began to work together to make the almond horns.

Everyone conversed happily while working and the youngest volunteer, Spencer Zissman, age 5, son of volunteer Heidi Zissman, had a great time making almond horns with resident Pearl Bernstein. For resident Bernice Davids, this was a tradition she was more than happy to continue. She had “done this before” and had always liked to bake. In years gone by, Davids had been a volunteer for the Jewish Pavilion before moving into Cascade Heights. Baking with the Jewish Pavilion had become something Davids looked forward to doing.

Jewish Pavilion CEO Nancy Ludin, as well as Program Director Susan Bernstein joined in the baking and interactions.

Overall, the baking was a huge success. Four large trays of almond horns were made and they tasted amazing; sweet yet savory with a crispy outside and a soft gooey inside. Breslauer was kind enough to allow his recipe to be published so that everyone can enjoy his delicious creations.

Ben Breslauer’s Almond Horn Recipe

Ingredients

52 oz almond paste

8 oz bread flour

Vanilla extract

1 lb 12 oz sugar

1-1 1/4 cup egg whites

Apricot jam

Chocolate (any semi-sweet chocolate)

Sliced almonds

Maraschino cherries

To Make the Dough

To begin, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Have a metal tray with parchment paper set aside before preparing the dough.

Next, mix together with an electric whisk the almond paste, bread flour and sugar, along with a dash of vanilla for 2-3 minutes. According to Ben, the amount of vanilla should be no more than a tablespoon.

Then, slowly add the egg whites, allowing the liquid to soak in, and mix at medium speed for 5 minutes. Place the almonds spread out on a flat surface and have a small bowl of water close by to get your hands wet.

To Form the Almond Horns

Once everything is set, wet your hands and take about a tablespoon of dough into your palms. Roll the dough into a short log and roll onto the almonds. Once almonds are covering the dough, place them on the prepared tray and shape the dough into an arc. Gently press any loose almonds back onto the dough. If you desire, place a cherry in to the middle of the horn and press down gently.

Repeat this process until the remaining dough is gone. Place the tray in the oven for 11-12 minutes or until lightly golden on the outside.

Prepare the Jam and Chocolate

While the horns are baking, melt a small amount of apricot jam and chocolate in pans.

To Finish

Once the almond horns are baked, place them on a cooling rack and coat them with the melted apricot jam. The apricot jam helps to preserve the almond horns. Give them a few minutes to dry then dip the tips in the chocolate. Allow the tips to dry and enjoy!