Italian Chocolate Almond Cookies Recipes

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.

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.

Steps:

• Place oven racks in the top and bottom third positions. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl. Add the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts and beat until light and smooth, 1 minute more. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Beat until just combined.
• Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheets in 2-inch lines, spaced 1-inch apart (you should be able to fit 12 cookies per tray). Bake in the oven until the cookies are set on top and golden around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely on the sheet trays. Once the cookies are set, transfer all onto one tray, leaving 1 cooled tray to bake the remaining dough (you'll have enough for about 12 more cookies).
• Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler or in the microwave on 50-percent power in 15 second increments. Pipe or spread the flat sides of half of the cookies with about 1 teaspoon jam each, going almost to the edges. Sandwich with the remaining cookies (you should have about 18 sandwiches). Allow the jam to set for 2 hours or overnight, if you have time. Otherwise, it's okay to go ahead and start dipping your sandwich cookies into the chocolate (it just might be a little slippery.).
• Dip the lower third of the cookies in the chocolate letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Sprinkle with the sprinkles on both sides. Lay back on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop the cookies in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to let the chocolate set.
• Tip: To make uniformly sized cookies, use a ruler and a marker or pen to draw 2-inch lines on 2 sheets of parchment paper in a 3-by-4-inch grid. Flip the parchment over and place on 2 baking sheets so the marker side is down but you can still see the lines. Using the lines as a template, pipe the dough in 2-inch lines on the baking sheets, using a paring knife or shears, if needed, to cut the dough from the piping bag in straight edges.

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.

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.

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.

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.