Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice challah bread into 1-inch pieces and place onto a nonstick baking sheet. Prepare Orange-Almond Syrup and frangipane. Brush each piece with Orange-Almond Syrup and spread each piece with a generous amount of frangipane.

2 Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake until edges of frangipane are golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Serve immediately for breakfast or cool and store refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven to serve.

3 Orange-Almond Syrup:

4 Combine 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once sugar dissolves, remove from heat and cool.

5 Stir in 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1 tablespoon orange juice or orange-flavored liqueur such as Grand Marnier and set aside. This recipe can be prepared in advance and stored refrigerated for up to one month.

6 With a food processor or mixer, cream butter with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Mix in remaining sugar. Add almond flour in three small batches, mixing after each addition.

7 Add egg, lemon zest, vanilla and dark rum (if desired) and mix well. Add flour and mix just until the batter is smooth and uniform. Set aside. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

8 Almond flour is available in most health food stores, many supermarkets, and is widely available online.

9 To make almond flour, grind blanched slivered almonds in a food processor until finely ground; do not let it become a paste. Refrigerate until use.

Source: Almond Board of California