Mandelmusslor: Almond Boats

Mandelmusslor: Almond Boats are almond flavored cookies that are shaped almost like a tart shell or little boat. They have a shortbread-like texture and are meant to be filled with lightly whipped cream and jam. 

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Mandelmusslor?

Mandelmusslor translates literally to almond mussels. They can also be called mandelformar, which translates almond forms or almond shapes. In trying to translate the name I thought almond boat sounded best. It’s cute and gives a more accurate description than almond “shapes”.

Holiday

Mandelmusslor are associated with holidays. They are traditionally enjoyed at both Christmas and Easter in Sweden.

Cloudberry

The most traditional way to fill Mandelmusslor: Almond Boats is with lightly whipped cream and cloudberry jam. Cloudberries are little orange berries similar to blackberries. They grow all across the Nordics, Russia and Canada.

Cloudberry Substitutions

Cloudberry jam can be quite difficult to find outside of the Nordics. Any type of jam will work with mandelmusslor but I like raspberry jam in particular.

Print Recipe

Mandelmusslor: Almond Boats

Mandelmusslor: Almond Boats are almond flavored cookies that are shaped almost like a tart shell or little boat. They have a shortbread-like texture and are meant to be filled with lightly whipped cream and jam.

Ingredients

• 300 g all-purpose flour
• 240 g butter
• 100 g brown sugar
• 50 g almond paste
• 40 g roasted almonds finely chopped
• 5 g salt
• Cloudberry jam
• Lightly whipped cream

Instructions

• In a bowl, tear the almond paste into small pieces and add a tablespoon of butter. Mix together until fully incorporated.
• Add another tablespoon of butter and mix until fully incorporated again. Repeat this process until the almond paste becomes creamy and spreadable.
• Add the rest of the butter and mix.
• Stir in the brown sugar and salt.
• Add the flour and roasted almonds and mix together until a dough forms.
• Thoroughly grease small fluted oval molds. I like to brush on softened butter but spray fat would work just as well.
• Place 25-30g of dough into each mold.
• Press down the center and push up the sides to create a shell.
• Bake 190C(375F) for 10-15 minutes or until they turn a lovely golden brown.
• Let cool, then gently knock out of the molds by tapping them on their sides against the counter.
• Serve filled with lightly whipped cream and cloudberry jam.

Notes

It is important to very lightly whip the cream. It should be quite loose. Do not over whip the cream, they are less nice this way.
You can use a well-greased muffin tin instead of the oval molds if you’d like.