Banket Bars
It can be hard to adopt other countries’ Christmas traditions and cherish them like our own, but when it comes to this Dutch log of almond paste, encased in puff pastry, I have no problem whatsoever! Rather than make long logs (or, indeed wreathes or letters, as they do in the Netherlands) I cut them into short lengths before baking, which rather gives them a look of sweet sausage rolls. They should, in this form, a Dutch friend tells me, more properly be called banketstaafstukjes, though I’ve settled on Banket Bars instead. They make a great alternative to mince pies for those who shudder at the very idea of dried fruit, and a most desirable addition for the rest of us. They are reassuringly easy to rustle up. No need to make your own puff pastry, but you do need to make your own almond paste. However, it’s not hard to make almond paste: in a processor it’s the work of lazy minutes. (And by the way, almond paste and marzipan are not quite the same thing.) The only thing you need to remember is to make it a day (or up to 3 days) before you go a-baking, but since the puff pastry is best thawed for a day in the fridge, too, you can have both in the fridge ready and waiting for you at the same time. And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.
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