Recette de cuisineHomemade recipes · Hainaut
Favorites
Banket letter, letter to the almond of Saint Nicholas

Banket letter, letter to the almond of Saint Nicholas

Baking

A Saint-Nicholas pastry: puff pastry wrapped around a lemon or orange almond filling, baked in the oven in the shape of a letter.

Enlarge photo

Recipe from Anka, MediaWiki default, Mahjon99 and 4 other contributors, adapted by Recette de cuisine ·

↓ Jump to recipe

The banketletter is a traditional Saint-Nicolas pastry, typically given in the form of a letter.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time30 min
  • Cook time35 min
  • Total1 hr 5 min
  • DifficultyMedium
  • CostModerate
  • Cooking methodOven baking
  • Estimated cost$27.44 $3.43 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 14, 2026.
  • Vegetarian

Ingredients

8 people
  • $1.84
  • $0.16
  • $0.40
  • $0.06
  • $0.40
  • $24.58

Prices from US supermarkets for 4 of 6 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Grind the almonds into a fine powder using a nut grinder.
  2. Add the sugar, egg, cream, and lemon or orange zest, then knead until a soft dough forms. ≈ 10 min
  3. If the dough seems too dry, add a little more egg to make it smooth. Reserve the remaining egg for glazing. ≈ 3 min
  4. Roll the almond paste into a log about 60 cm long. ≈ 10 min
  5. Arrange the puff pastry sheets next to each other, overlapping the edges by 1 cm. Press the edges firmly and smooth them with a rolling pin. This will create a strip approximately 62 x 10 cm. ≈ 3 min
  6. Place the almond paste in the center and wrap the dough around it. Press the edges firmly, and if necessary, moisten them slightly with a little water. ≈ 3 min
  7. Preheat the oven.
  8. Place the roll on the plate, with the seam facing down, and shape it into a letter or a stick. ≈ 10 min
  9. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush over the pastry. ≈ 4 min
  10. Place the pastry in the center of the oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until it is golden brown.

The bill

Banket letter, letter to the almond of Saint Nicholas

  • 200 g of blanched, sweet almonds$1.84
  • 200 g of light brown sugar$0.16
  • 1 egg$0.40
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon or orange zest$0.06
  • One more egg, for glazing$0.40
  • 7 to 8 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed$24.58

Total$27.44

that's $3.43 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

Affiliate links

Before you start

Ingredients

  • 200 g of blanched, sweet almonds
  • 200 g of light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon or orange zest
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream
  • One more egg, for glazing
  • 7 to 8 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed

The screen stays on while cooking mode is open.
🎬 Have a video of this recipe? Suggest a YouTube link

Did you film this recipe, or do you know a video that shows it? Axelle watches it before adding it to the page.

Nothing is published before approval.

✏️ A mistake, an idea for this recipe? Suggest a correction

Reviews (0)

Rate this recipe Be the first to rate it!

Your rating