Italian Chocolate Almond Cookies Food

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Prepare the small muffin tins with small cupcake liners.
• Melt the shortening. Once melted, add the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted. Set aside and the let chocolate mixture cool.
• Beat the eggs slightly, then add the sugar, almonds. lemon rind and cooled chocolate, then continue beating the mixture for 5 minutes. Blend in the baking powder, then add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing well.
• Using a small cookie scoop, fill the paper cups about half way. I find that a level scoop of dough is the perfect amount.
• Bake the cookies for 6 to 8 minutes, rotating the trays half way through the baking, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool on rack. Sprinkle with icing sugar when cool.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars, cocoa and extracts until creamy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Combine the flour and baking soda; gradually add to sugar mixture.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 375° for 7-9 minutes or until edges are firm.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• On an unlined cookie sheet toast almonds for approximately 5 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Remove from oven, move to a small bowl and let cool.
• In a medium bowl beat eggs and sugar to combine, then add flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, honey, vanilla and zest and combine with a wooden spoon, then fold in the almonds.
• Move to a lightly floured flat surface and gently knead into a soft dough.
• Divide into 2-3 parts and form into 2-3 logs (I found 3 logs to be just right). Approximately 8-10 inches long, place on prepared cookie sheet and brush with beaten egg (a small egg), bake for approximately 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven, let sit 5 minutes and then cut each log into 1/4 inch slices on the diagonal, place cut side up on the cookie sheet and bake again for approximately 5-10 minutes or until dry. Let cool completely before dipping in melted chocolate. Enjoy!

ITALIAN ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Put half the almonds and half the sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process to obtain a coarse meal. Repeat with remaining almonds and sugar.
• Put egg whites and almond extract in a medium bowl. Using a wire whisk, beat whites until soft peaks form. Add the almond-sugar mixture to the whites and use a rubber spatula to incorporate the egg whites until you obtain a doughlike consistency.
• Use a spoon or small ice cream scoop to make 24 little blobs weighing about 1/2 ounce/20 grams. Roll each between 2 palms to make smooth spheres, then flatten them slightly. Roll them in a bowl of confectioners' sugar to coat well and place 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Use the end of a wooden spoon to make little round dents in each cookie. Fill dents with whole, unblanched almonds or Amarena cherries, if desired. Alternatively, leave cookies plain with smooth tops. Leave the tray of unbaked cookies at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

ITALIAN ALMOND COOKIES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the almond paste, flour, egg whites, white sugar and confectioners' sugar until well blended. The mixture will be very sticky. Place the sliced almonds into a small bowl. Scoop out rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough and drop them into the almonds. Roll until completely coated. Place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Sift 3 cups flour twice. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, white sugar and cocoa. Cream 1 cup butter or margarine; blend into flour mixture. Add 1/3 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and nuts. Mix thoroughly with hands until well blended. (Dough should be the consistency of pie crust, but not sticky.)
• For each cookie, pinch off about 1 teaspoon dough. Roll by hands into balls, each about one-inch in diameter. Place on greased baking sheets. Do not flatten. Bake about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets; cool on racks. When cool, drizzle each generously with chocolate frosting. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles if desired.
• To make Chocolate Frosting: Melt the chocolate squares over low heat. Cream with 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 cups of confectioner's sugar. Gradually add hot milk, beating until smooth.

ITALIAN ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly oil 2 large baking sheets, then line with parchment paper.
• In food processor, combine 2 1/4 cups almonds and 1/3 cup sugar. Process until finely ground, scraping down sides once or twice. Set aside.
• In electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt at high speed until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to medium and gradually sprinkle in remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Return speed to high and beat mixture until stiff, shiny peaks form. Gently fold in ground almond mixture and almond and vanilla extracts.
• Roll mixture into 1-inch balls, place 2 inches apart on baking sheets, and flatten slightly. Top each with glacéed cherry or almond. Bake until cookies are golden, switching positions of pans halfway through, about 25 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Cookies keep, wrapped, several days, or frozen, several weeks. Recrisp in warm oven.