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Krakow slices
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Krakow slices

Crispy, moist, tender, aromatic and incredibly delicious are the Krakow slices, which were once very popular in the former Soviet Union. They consist of a fluffy shortbread and a nutty almond dough, which together make a heavenly treat. And even though the Krakow slices have disappeared from the shelves of Russian stores, you can easily make them yourself at home using this recipe.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Russian
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Drying time 1 hour
Servings 10 pieces

Ingredients

for the shortbread

  • 100 g butter (room temperature)
  • 60 g sugar
  • yolk of 1 egg (room temperature)
  • approx. 165 g flour
  • 5 g baking powder
  • vanilla
  • 1 pinch of salt

for the almond dough

  • 120 g almonds (roasted and ground or finely chopped)
  • egg whites of 3 eggs
  • 190 g sugar
  • 60 g flour
  • 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

Preparation of the shortbread

  • Beat soft butter, sugar, vanilla and salt briefly until homogeneous.
  • Add the egg yolks and beat until creamy and fluffy.
  • Mix flour with baking powder, add it in portions, little by little to the egg yolk-butter-sugar mixture and knead it quickly and briefly, first with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula and at the end with your hands to a very soft dough.
  • Roll out the dough on a sheet of baking paper about 0.5 cm thick to a square about 20 cm x 25 cm.
  • Pull the dough on the sheet of baking paper onto a baking sheet, pierce it in several places with a fork and bake it in a preheated oven at 200 °C top and bottom heat for about 10 minutes until it turns a light yellow color.

Preparation of the almond dough

  • Beat egg whites with salt until stiff.
  • Add sugar and ground or finely chopped almonds.
  • Put the almond egg white mixture into a saucepan and heat it over low heat to 70 - 80 °C, stirring constantly. (It took about 8 minutes for me. Also note my tips and tricks for this here at the top of the post).
  • Remove the almond egg white mixture from the heat and quickly fold in the flour.
  • Now briskly spread the still-hot almond dough (as long as it hasn't set yet) evenly over the shortbread base on the baking sheet and let it dry at room temperature for about 1 hour, until its surface is no longer sticky.
  • Cut the "cake" into 10 equal-sized slices, move them slightly apart on the baking sheet so that there is some space between them, and bake them in a preheated oven at 160 °C top and bottom heat for about 20 minutes.

Notes

  • Almonds can be substituted with any nuts. The important thing is that they are roasted, so that the pastry becomes aromatic.
  • Heat the almond and egg white mixture slowly, stirring constantly so that it does not burn. If a layer of starch forms on the bottom of the saucepan in the process, it's not a problem.
  • Work swiftly with the almond dough, because it quickly solidifies when it cools and then becomes difficult to spread on the shortbread base.
  • To give the shortbread the right consistency, add flour in portions, a little at a time. The amount of flour specified in the recipe may vary. The dough must be very soft, not sticky and not too firm.
  • Do not knead the shortbread for too long, but briefly and quickly, using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula first and then your hands at the end.
  • Do not bake the shortbread base without almond dough for too long. As soon as its surface gets a light yellow color, it is ready.
  • Note the detailed tips and tricks for making the Krakow slices at the top of the post.