Salted Almond Honey Wafers Food

SWEET ALMOND CRACKERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Arrange the crackers in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet so that the baking sheet is completely covered with a solid layer of crackers. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar and vanilla. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and boil until it starts to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately pour the mixture over the crackers in an even layer. Use an offset spatula to spread the mixture all over the crackers. Bake for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the almonds all over, then let cool completely.
• When cool, break apart for a great snack.

SALTED-ALMOND HONEY WAFERS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liner on a baking sheet.
• Melt butter in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat and add honey, sugar, and corn syrup, stirring until combined. Remove from heat and stir in flour until incorporated, then stir in egg white.
• Working in batches of 6, spread small spoonfuls of batter with a small offset spatula or back of a spoon into long strips, about 1 inch wide and 5 to 6 inches long, on baking sheet, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Top each batch with about 2 3/4 tablespoons almonds and sprinkle with sea salt.
• Bake until evenly golden, 9 to 10 minutes, then cool briefly on baking sheet to firm slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer with a thin metal spatula to a rack to cool completely. Transfer wafers as cooled to an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND WAFERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in sliced almonds. , Shape dough into a 14-in. log; roll in ground almonds. Wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm., Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 9-11 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks.

ALMOND BLANCMANGE WITH CARAMEL GLAZE AND SAGE SHERBET

Steps:

• Make blancmange:
• Soak almonds in 3 cups milk, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours. Blend almond mixture in 2 batches in a blender until smooth, about 3 minutes per batch.
• Rinse kitchen towel under cold water and wring out as much water as possible. Line a large sieve with towel, then set sieve over a bowl or 4-cup glass measure and pour half of almond mixture into towel. Wrap towel up and around mixture and, working over sieve, squeeze almond milk from towel into bowl, discarding ground nuts once all of liquid is extracted. Repeat procedure with remaining almond mixture until you have about 2 1/4 cups almond milk.
• With a vegetable peeler remove zest from orange and lemon. Bring zests, sugar, and remaining cup milk to a simmer in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle gelatin over cream in a medium metal bowl and let soften 1 minute. Pour warm zest mixture through a sieve into gelatin mixture, discarding zest, and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in almond milk.
• Divide almond mixture among soup plates (about 1/2 cup each; they will not be full), stirring before ladling so gelatin is evenly distributed. Chill, loosely covered once cold, until set, about 4 hours.
• Make sherbet:
• Bring water, sugar, corn syrup, dry milk, and sage leaves to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a medium metal bowl and let soften 1 minute. Pour warm sage mixture through a sieve into gelatin mixture, discarding sage leaves, and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and let stand, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until cold, about 10 minutes.
• Freeze sherbet in ice cream maker (it will initially double in volume and then shrink as it freezes), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden slightly, at least 1 hour.
• Make caramel:
• Stir together Amaretto, cream, and 1/3 cup water in a 2-cup measure and set aside.
• Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then wash down any crystals from side of skillet with a pastry brush dipped in water. Boil syrup, without stirring, until it becomes a deep golden caramel (swirl skillet if necessary to help syrup caramelize evenly), about 5 minutes. Turn heat off and immediately add Amaretto mixture (mixture will bubble up and steam), then cook over moderate heat, stirring, until any solid caramel is dissolved and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle gelatin over remaining water in a medium metal bowl and let soften 1 minute. Add hot caramel mixture and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Put bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and let stand, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until just cool, about 5 minutes.
• Gently spoon about 3 tablespoons Amaretto caramel glaze evenly over each gelled blancmange, then chill desserts, uncovered, until glaze is set, at least 3 hours.
• Serve desserts with a scoop of sage sherbet and a wafer.

CARAMELIZED ALMOND WAFERS

Steps:

• Spread the almonds on a sheet pan, and toast them in a 300˚ oven for 15 minutes, or until they are light gold and fragrant.
• Cut sixty wafers from the rice paper with sharp scissors. For square cookies, fold the sheet over at about 2-inch intervals, cut along the folds to make strips, and cut the strips into squares. For round wafers, cut 2-inch circles from each strip.
• Pour the honey and the sugar into the skillet, and set over medium heat. Stir in the cinnamon as the honey melts, and continue stirring as the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to bubble. Cook at a moderate boil for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture has caramelized to a deep golden brown and thickened noticeably.
• Stir in the almonds, heat to bubbling again, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the nuts are hot and thoroughly coated with the caramelized honey. Don't let the syrup or almonds get too dark. Turn off the heat, but leave the filling in the pan.
• Lay out twelve wafers in a line on a cool counter, scoop up some of the hot honey and almonds with a wooden spoon, and drop a small mound on six of the wafers-a rounded teaspoon or more. While the honey is still soft, top each with a second wafer. With a flat board, press down lightly on all at once, flattening and spreading the nut filling. Fill all the wafer sandwiches this way. Whenever the caramel gets too thick to drop, return the pan to low heat and warm the honey until it loosens.
• When the filled wafers are completely cool and the filling is crunchy, enjoy. Store in an airtight container for a week or so.

WILDFLOWER-HONEY SEMIFREDDO WITH HONEY SESAME WAFERS

Steps:

• Make semifreddo:
• Sprinkle gelatin over 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and let stand to soften.
• Beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks, then chill, covered.
• Stir together honey, sugar, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons water in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Boil, undisturbed, until mixture registers 238°F on thermometer (soft-ball stage; you may need to tilt pan to get temperature; see cooks' note, below), about 4 minutes.
• Beat yolks in a medium bowl with cleaned beaters at high speed until they are thick and pale, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and pour hot honey mixture in a slow stream into yolks (try to avoid beaters and side of bowl). Reserve pan. Immediately add gelatin mixture to hot honey pan, swirling until dissolved, then beat liquid gelatin into yolk mixture and continue to beat until mixture is pale, thick, and completely cool, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Fold one third of whipped cream into honey mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined, then fold in remaining whipped cream gently but thoroughly.
• Divide mixture evenly among ramekins, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until frozen, at least 1 hour.
• Make sesame toffee:
• Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Stir together cream, sugar, honey, and salt in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan and boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is golden and registers 260°F on thermometer (hard-ball stage; see cooks' note, below), about 6 minutes.
• Remove mixture from heat and immediately stir in sesame seeds, then pour evenly onto parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and spread into a very thin layer (about a 9-inch round) with an offset spatula. Cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes (candy will be slightly flexible), then chill on sheet in the refrigerator until hard, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove toffee from parchment and break into very small pieces (less than 1/4 inch) with your hands or a rolling pin.
• Make honey sesame wafers:
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, then add honey, beating until combined. Beat in egg white until combined well, then reduce speed to low and add flour and salt until combined. Chill batter, covered, until slightly firm, about 30 minutes.
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Using offset spatula, spread half of batter (about 1/3 cup) into a very thin, sheer 14- by 11-inch rectangle on 1 sheet. Using tip of spatula or a butter knife, section off 12 squares by scraping knife through batter to make a 1/4-inch-wide space between batter sections. Sprinkle half of sesame toffee evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining batter and brittle on second sheet. Bake wafers, switching position of sheets and rotating 180 degrees halfway through baking, until golden (some parts may be pale golden), about 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature on sheets on racks, about 10 minutes. Peel parchment off wafers.
• Make orange topping:
• Peel and cut any white pith from oranges with a sharp knife. Cut oranges lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, discarding white pith from center, then cut slices into 1/4-inch dice.
• Assemble dessert:
• Fill a large bowl with cool water and dip 1 ramekin (with semifreddo) into water 3 seconds.
• Run a sharp paring knife around edge, then invert ramekin onto a dessert plate, gently releasing semifreddo. (It may be necessary to run knife around more than once and gently pry semifreddo out slightly; if necessary, smooth top and sides with knife.) Repeat with remaining ramekins.
• Spoon diced orange over and around each semifreddo and serve each with 1 or 2 honey sesame wafers.