Cookie Recipe #68 - Amaretti Crisps

This is definitely a coffee-dunking cookie. Replace your morning doughnut with one of these crunchy almond rings.

Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups sliced almond, toasted, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 egg whites, room temperature, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.

Instructions: Place the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place mixing bowl and whisk beaters in freezer for further use. Remove toasted almonds from oven. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper. Process almonds and confectioners' sugar in a food processor until ground to a fine powder. (This is an important step-I used a small electric chopper and I think I didn't get the almonds chopped up fine enough thus causing problems further down the line). Transfer ground mixture to a bowl; set aside.

Put egg whites in the cold mixing bowl and using the cold beaters, mix on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into almond mixture; fold in almond extract.

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain round tip. Pipe twenty 2 inch rings onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart (this is where I had difficulty-I couldn't get the mixture to pass through the tip because the almonds were still too big. I took a small spoon and formed a circle with the dough, by hand. It seemed to work.)

Bake cookies in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Transfer cookies to wire racks and allow to cool completely.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days; makes about 20 crisps.

"Martha Stewart's Cookies", published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, New York, in 2008.

Cookies Rule!!!

Cookie Recipe #58 - Almond Orange Dainties

Well, the Olympics are over...almost like Christmas night when all the presents have been opened, your belly is full of great food, you've shared loving moments with your family and friends, and because all this excitement has been building for weeks, now you ask yourself, "Now what?" What are we going to watch on TV now? My husband liked the skiing events, the bobsled and luge. I liked the ice skating and speed skating (Yeah, Apolo!). Yesterday's hockey game was magnificent; only way it could have been better was if USA had won, but 3 of the Canada team gold medal winners are part of our hometown team-the San Jose Sharks. So, now that the Olympics are over, everyone will have time to bake a batch of cookies. Try today's - the orange-flavored cookie is rolled in toasted crushed almonds then filled with a dark chocolate center...cookielicious....



Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 egg yolks, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2-3 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel, 1 cup toasted sliced almonds, ground. Chocolate filling: 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whipping cream, 1 egg yolk, slightly beaten, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.



Instructions: In large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, vanilla and egg yolks until creamy. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, blending well. Stir in orange peel. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.



Meanwhile toast almonds as follows: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in thin layer of shallow baking pan (baking sheet). Bake 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown; remove and allow to cool. Crush in food processor until finely ground; set aside in small bowl. Next, make filling as follows: In small saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa and flour. Gradually stir in whipping cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove a tablespoonful of chocolate mixture and blend with the slightly beaten egg yolk. Transfer egg yolk/chocolate mixture back to saucepan of chocolate and blend well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla; stir until mixture is smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.



Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll into ground toasted almonds and place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press thumb in center of each ball; spoon about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon filling in each thumbprint.



Bake 11-13 minutes or until set. Cool a minute or two on baking sheet before removing to cooling racks. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.



("Hershey's Homemade" published by Hershey Foods Corporation in 1991).