Grandma Betty’s Banket
If you have been following along you know that my grandma Betty was a great baker and every year we made Christmas Cookies together. Banket was one of her best (closely guarded) recipes. Since she passed, my mom and I were attempting this for the first time on our own this year.
 I’m happy to report it turned out great! Warning: this recipe is not for the faint of heart – it has 42 million steps, not to mention the dough needs to rest over night. It is so worth it though, delicious flaky crust with a sweet almond paste filling. It is perfect with a cup of coffee and is just so Christmas to me (probably because it is the only time of year we convince ourselves to go thru all the work of making it.)
Ok here we go,Â
First you need to find Almond Paste (I usually get mine from a dutch bakery here but you can find it in the refrigerated section at most grocery stores). Grate it in bowl, mix well with eggs and sugar.
Then make your dough for your crust – make sure not to overmix! Sorry no pics of this, it is hard to take photos when your hands are coated in butter and flour.
Here is the first unusual part get 2 pie plates and put your dough in one, your almond filling in the other. Cover with wax paper and refrigerate over night.
The next day cut your “pies” into 8 equal sections. This will help keep your portions the right size, because you are going to make 8 rolls. Oh, didn’t I mention this makes enough for an army? Don’t worry you can freeze it.
Get your flour, rolling pin, and muscles out. This part I have down, my grandma’s arthritis bothered her the last few years, so this has been my job for a while.
Take one of the little slices of pie dough and roll out into a long, thin rectangle.
Are you still with me? We are almost to step # 3,742…
Cut one of your slices of almond filling into quarters.
Place each slice on the rolled out dough, closer to one side, forming into an even line.
Roll up, folding the ends under. Pinch together slightly so the filling doesn’t ooze out.
Dock the rolls with a fork, brush with egg yolks.
And we’re done! Now sit back and look at all your hard work :)
At this point you can stick the pans in your freezer until the Banket is frozen hard. Then you can wrap them up and bake off as needed. I baked 2 rolls and froze the rest.
Slice them up and enjoy.
RECIPE
DOUGH
Mix 1 lb of cold butter chopped up, with 4 C of flour, 1/4 sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp baking powder. I like to use my hands for this, mix until the consistency of crumbs. Make a well in the middle and add 1 scant cup of cold water, mix until a dough is formed. Place in a pie pan and refrigerate over night.
FILLING
Grate 1 lb of almond paste into a bowl. Add 2 eggs, 2 C sugar, 1 tsp vanilla. Mix well. Place in a pie pan and refrigerate over night.
Follow the steps above to assemble the Banket. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Linking up at Stone Gable
We moms are smarter than you think LOL
Thanks Mom! So proud you figured out how to comment :) love you back!
Love that you kept this tradition, my mom would be so proud. Love you, mom
Yum! I want to make this! Must get almond paste on my list.
At the step where you cut the dough into 8 pieces, I’m a little confused because the next step is to cut the filling into 8ths, and then each 8th into quarters. Do you line up 4 of the quarter pieces on each slice of dough or did I miss something? Thanks, looks delicious!
YUM!! Sometimes you make things and I am like, why the heck does she live so far away! {that sounds a little stalker-ish considering we have never “met” LOL!} Looks so delish!!