Almond Bear Claw Puff Pastry (Printable)

Golden, flaky pastries filled with sweet almond cream and topped with toasted sliced almonds for that perfect bakery finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Filling

01 - 1 cup almond flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg white
04 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
06 - Pinch of salt

→ For the Pastry

07 - 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (about 250 g)

→ For Assembly

08 - 1 large egg, beaten
09 - 1/2 cup sliced almonds
10 - 2 tbsp coarse sugar

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, sugar, egg white, softened butter, almond extract, and salt. Mix until smooth paste forms.
03 - Roll thawed puff pastry on lightly floured surface into 12x12 inch square.
04 - Cut pastry into 4 equal strips, then cut each strip in half to create 8 rectangles.
05 - Place about 1 tablespoon almond filling down center of each rectangle, leaving border around edges.
06 - Fold each rectangle in half lengthwise, covering filling. Seal edges by pressing gently.
07 - Make 3-4 cuts along sealed edge of each pastry with sharp knife. Gently curve into slight arc to fan out toes.
08 - Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Brush each bear claw with beaten egg, sprinkle with sliced almonds and coarse sugar if using.
09 - Bake for 18-22 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
10 - Allow to cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Using store-bought puff pastry means you skip the hardest part of laminating dough yourself
  • The almond paste filling comes together in literally three minutes and tastes better than what you buy
02 -
  • Working with cold puff pastry is key, if it gets too warm the butter layers melt and you lose all those gorgeous flaky layers
  • The almond filling can be made ahead and refrigerated, which actually makes it easier to handle and spread
03 -
  • Do not overfill the pastries or the filling will burst out during baking
  • Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before eating, the filling gets incredibly hot

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