Boterletter is a filling pastry cake containing almond paste. It is always shaped into a letter.
ingredients
serves 4 - 6
For the Pastry:
2 1/4 cups All purpose flour
3/4 cup butter
scant 1/4 pint water
For the Almond paste:
1 1/2 cups ground almonds
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 egg
juice of half a lemon
almond extract
beaten egg to glaze
1/2 ounce angelica, 2 candied cherries to decorate
method
1. Preheat oven to hot, 220°C (425°F)
2. Make pastry with flour, butter and water. Roll into a long strip approximately 4 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick.
3. Mix almond paste ingredients together and form into a long sausage shape, using your hands, and making it just a little shorter than the length of pastry. Place on top of the pastry strip. Wrap pastry around the paste, sealing the edge and ends with beaten egg. Place on a baking sheet and form into the shape of a letter.
4. Glaze with beaten egg. Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 30 minutes.
5. When golden brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Decorate with chopped angelica and candied cherries and serve, cut in slices, with tea or coffee.
