Chocolate Drizzled Almonds Food

CHOCOLATE DRIZZLED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Spread whole almonds in a single layer in shallow pan. Place in cold oven, roast at 350F for 12 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
• Place roasted almonds on foil, parchment paper or a serving platter.
• Melt chocolate in a small bowl in microwave for one minute at medium high power. Stir well. Microwave in additional 10-20 second intervals stirring until smooth.
• Pour melted chocolate into a baggie. Cut a small hole in a corner of the bag. Drizzle chocolate over the almonds in a decorative pattern.
• Place in the fridge to harden.
• ** Try drizzling your almonds with bittersweet, milk or white chocolate -- or a combination of all three!

CHOCOLATE COVERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Place the granulated sugar and water in a large copper pot or 4-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the almonds and stir to coat them evenly in the sugar syrup. Your goal is to cook the almonds until the sugar crystallizes and caramelizes.
• When water is added to the sugar, the sugar crystals are dissolved. As it boils, the syrup becomes thicker as the water evaporates and big soap-like bubbles begin to form. Soon, all the moisture evaporates and the mixture becomes sandy. The sandiness is the sugar recrystallizing. It only takes the reformation of one sugar crystal to recrystallize the others. Keep stirring! Next, you see the sugar closest to the heat change from sandy to a clear liquid. The melted sugar clings to the almonds. When the sugar changes from clear to golden brown, the nuts are caramelized. Once this happens, pay close attention; the time it takes to pass from caramelized to burned is only a matter of seconds, especially when making smaller batches. You know the nuts are finished when most of the sandy sugar is gone.
• The first few times you make these, I suggest you try the following: When the sugar closest to the heat changes from sandy to liquid, remove the pan from the burner and continue to stir. The residual heat in the sugar and nuts will continue to cook the mixture while you stir it. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to stir the nuts while moving the saucepan on and off the heat at 10-second intervals. This will give you more control as it cooks. When the nuts begin to caramelize, remove them from the heat and finish stirring.
• Use a wooden spoon to spread the caramelized nuts onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Do not touch the nuts as they are extremely hot. Let the nuts cool completely. If your freezer will accommodate the baking sheet, you can place the nuts in the freezer for about 30 minutes to speed up the cooling process. When completely cooled, break apart any nut clusters that may have formed. At this stage, you can choose to serve the nuts as they are.
• Place the caramelized nuts in the coating pan attached to the stand mixer. Spin at low speed. Use a ladle to add the chocolate to the spinning nuts. Add 1 ladle at a time until the nuts are coated to the desired thickness. If a thicker coat is desired, use more chocolate. If a thinner coat is desired, decrease the amount of chocolate. Finish by adding cocoa powder to the coating pan. Remove and serve.

CHOCOLATE COVERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toast almonds for 15 minutes on a baking sheet. Line two baking pans with parchment paper; set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar, 1/4 cup water, toasted almonds, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar becomes golden and granular and almonds are completely coated and separated. Pour nuts onto prepared pans. Chill in freezer, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place chocolate in a medium bowl; place bowl over simmering water until melted. Transfer half the chilled almonds to a large bowl, and pour half the melted chocolate over nuts. Stir until nuts are thoroughly coated. Transfer nuts onto prepared baking pan. Using two forks, separate nuts so none stick together. Return almonds to refrigerator until chocolate has set, about 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining almonds.
• Place cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar into two separate bowls. Toss half the nuts in cocoa and half in sugar, and gently tap off any excess powder. Store separately in airtight containers for up to 1 month.

CHOCOLATE AND CINNAMON SUGAR ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. Line a rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and place a cooling rack on top; set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, toasted almonds, and cinnamon. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar becomes golden, then starts to crystallize, and almonds are completely coated, about 8 minutes. (As the sugar cooks it seems really dry and you think it can't be right, keep stirring) Pour the almond mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer or refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes - or just let cool.
• Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted. Add the chilled almond mixture, stirring until nuts are thoroughly coated. Spoon onto cooling rack-lined baking sheet. Separate almonds with a fork. Place baking sheets in refrigerator until chocolate is set, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Place cocoa powder in a large bowl and add the almond mixture. Toss to coat, shaking off excess cocoa powder. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350º.
• In a small bowl, combine ground almonds, powdered sugar, and almond extract.
• Stir in egg white.
• Melt chocolate in a small dish and stir into almond mixture, mixing in well.
• Allow crust to come to room temperature (or if you can't wait to get started, heat for about 20 seconds on defrost in your microwave).
• Unfold/ unroll both pie crusts as directed on package (if you are making your own pie crusts, form both of them in a round circle measuring 11" across).
• Place one pie crust on top of the other (this is just to simplifiy the amount of cutting you will do, you can do it one layer at a time if you like) and place on cutting board.
• Cut crusts in half, in half again making 4 sections, in half again, making 8 wedges, and then each of the eight wedges, cut in thirds, creating 24 wedges.
• Place about 1/2 teaspoon of almond filling at the wide end of each wedge.
• If you chose to stack the crusts, roll the top layer first, roll up starting with widest end of wedge, rolling to opposite point.
• Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Repeat with second layer.
• These cookies can be placed quite close to each other as the will shrink just a little while baking.
• I usually have 24 cookies on one cookie sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until very light golden brown.
• Remove from cookie sheet to a wire cooling rack that has waxed paper underneath.
• Cool completely.
• In a small bowl, make glaze by mixing powdered sugar, almond extract and stirring in milk gradually to reach desired glazing consistency (I like mine a little thicker).
• Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.

MOCHA ALMOND BISCOTTI WITH CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Dissolve coffee crystals in the hot water.
• Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs and coffee in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with a spoon.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• On an ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper, shape the dough into two 10x3 rectangles (each should be about 3/4 to 1 inch thick).
• Bake about 30 minutes or until center is firm to the touch.
• Cool 15 minutes on the cookie sheet.
• Cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices.
• Place slices cut side down, in rows on a cookie sheet. (can be touching to fit them all on the sheet).
• Bake 7-8 minutes, then flip them over and bake another 7-8 minutes. The edges should be light brown and the biscotti should be crisp when done.
• Immediately remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack.
• When completely cool, melt the chocolate and shortening together (either in the microwave (but be careful not to over heat it or it will scorch) or in a heat-safe bowl over a pot of boiling water (for a quasi double-boiler)).
• Drizzle the chocolate over the biscotti using a spoon.
• When cool, enjoy with a cup of coffee.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the flour and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack., In a saucepan, combine the milk and 1 cup chocolate chips. Cook and stir over low heat until chips are melted. Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Stir in egg, almonds and extract. Spread over crust. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpicks inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. In a microwave, melt shortening and remaining chips; drizzle over top. Cut into bars.

CHOCOLATE-GLAZED ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pat into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until edges are lightly browned., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the egg whites, sugar and almond filling until blended. Stir in almonds. Pour over crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack. , In a microwave, melt chocolate; stir until smooth. Drizzle over top. Let stand until set. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

CRANBERRY AND ALMOND BISCOTTI WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl whisk together flour with baking powder and salt.
• Using an electric mixer beat the butter, sugar and eggs with extract until well blended (about 4 minutes).
• Add in the flour mixture, then the cranberries and almonds; mix well to combine.
• Divide the dough in half.
• With floured hands shape the dough in about 9 x 2-inch logs.
• Transfer the logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.
• In a small bowl whisk the egg white until foamy, the brush the egg white on top and sides of each log.
• Bake the logs until golden brown, about 35 minutes (the logs will spread when baked).
• Cool completely in the baking pan (leave the oven heat on to 350 degrees).
• Transfer the logs to a work surface.
• Shake out any crumbs from the parchment paper, then place back on the baking sheet with clean-side facing upwards.
• Using a serrated knife, sliced the logs on diagonal about 1/2 - 3/4-inches.
• Arrange the sliced biscotti cut side down on the same baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes; turn the biscotti over and bake for another 5 minutes, just until beginning to lightly brown.
• Transfer biscotti to a rack to cool.
• For the glaze: stir the white chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water until smooth.
• Remove from over the water.
• Using a fork, drizzle chocolate over biscotti.
• Let stand until chocolate sets (about 30 minutes).