Baci Di Dama Food

BACI DI DAMA

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together the flour, confectioners' sugar, ground hazelnuts, baking powder and salt until completely combined. Add the cold butter all at once, and continue to pulse until it comes together.
• Place the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten to about 1 inch, then wrap well and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Pinch off teaspoon-sized pieces of dough and roll into small balls, then transfer to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through, until dry to the touch, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool undisturbed (the cookies are fragile) on the cookie sheets on a rack.
• Once cool, spread the chocolate hazelnut spread on the bottoms of the cookies and sandwich them together. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

BACI DI DAMA

Steps:

• Whisk the butter, icing sugar and salt until frothy and the mixture forms little peaks. Mix in the rum. Add the flour and bind everything together quickly to form a dough. Stand aside to cool for 30 minutes wrapped in cling film.
• From the dough, make approximately 50 round cookie shapes and place these at least 2.5 cm apart on a baking tray covered with grease-proof paper. Put aside to cool for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
• Bake the cookies in the bottom half of the oven for 15-17 minutes. The bottoms can get slightly brown, the tops should still be light in colour. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
• For the filling, melt the chocolate and the butter in a bowl over the hot bain marie. Stir and pour into a litre measure. Allow to cool a little. Use the mixer to beat it into a frothy light brown crème. Smooth this mixture onto the base of one of the baked cookies, and cover with a second cookie. Allow to set on a piece of grease-proof paper.
• HINT. If kept sealed and in a cool place sweet kisses will keep fresh for about a week.

BACI DI DAMA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Make cookies: Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until egg whites form stiff peaks. Add the sugar slowly; continue beating until egg whites are very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in cocoa until combined. Stir in almonds; mix until completely blended. Batter should be quite thick and sticky.
• Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe teaspoon-size, peaked mounds onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart.
• Bake until slightly cracked, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets several minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Make filling: In a small bowl, combine shortening and melted chocolate. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate onto flat side of a cookie; place another cookie on top. Press together gently so chocolate oozes out slightly. Return cookie to a wire rack to set; repeat with remaining cookies. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

BACI DI DAMA (ALMOND COOKIES)

Steps:

• Blanch and toast the almonds. Peel and chop them very finely or crush them in a mortar with 1/2 cup sugar.
• Add the vanilla, beat egg whites till stiffened, then fold in the almonds.
• Spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe 2 l/2-in. wide rounds about 1 1/2 apart on a buttered baking sheet and flatten them a bit.
• Sift the confectioner's sugar over the tops and let stand at room temperature 1-2 hours.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF and bake for about 20 minutes
• Remove from oven and cool. Amaretti may be kept in a sealed box for several days.

BACI DI DAMA

Steps:

• Blitz the hazelnuts to fine crumbs, but be careful not to over-blitz - you don't want them to become oily. Add the butter and sugar, and blitz again until really creamy, then tip the mixture into a bowl and sift in the flour. Mix with your hands, then chill in the fridge for an hour or until firm enough to roll.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Tear off teaspoon-sized chunks of mixture and roll into balls, then place on the lined sheet around 2 cm apart. Bake for 15 mins until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• To make the filling, heat the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, stirring every 10 secs until fully melted. Spread a small spoonful of chocolate on half the cooled biscuits. Leave to set for 15 mins then sandwich the remaining biscuits on top. Leave the baci di dama to set completely (put them in the fridge if the kitchen is warm). Serve with coffee.