Filled speculatius bread

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 100 g butter
• 190 g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 75 g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp gingerbread spice
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 m.-sized eggs
• 200 g ground almonds
• 200 g sugar, fine white
• 10 drops of bitter almond flavor
• 1 lemon(s), untreated, grated peel
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp whipped cream
• 24 almonds

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

A delicious Christmas specialty from the Netherlands with a fine almond paste. Serves 2 loaves

Separate the eggs. Knead the butter in pieces, 150g flour, the brown sugar, the baking powder, the gingerbread spice, a pinch of salt, and 1 egg yolk together until a smooth dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Mix the ground almonds, the white sugar, the 2 egg whites, the bitter almond flavoring, the lemon zest, and the lemon juice until smooth. Stir in 40g flour. Roll out half of the dough into a rectangle (18 x 26 cm) and cut it in half lengthwise. Place half of the almond mixture lengthwise on one strip of the halved dough, leaving a border of approximately 1.5 cm on each side. Place the second strip on top of the filling and press the edge down. The filling will then sit between the strips of dough like a hot dog in a bun. Seal the ends of the bread with the dough. Repeat this process with the second half of the dough and the second half of the almond mixture to make two loaves. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the loaves on it. Whisk the teaspoon of cream with the remaining egg yolk and brush the mixture over the loaves. Top each loaf with 12 almonds. Bake the loaves in a preheated oven at 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 40 minutes.