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Showing posts with the label gluten-free

#47 Basler Brunsli (Heart-Shaped Chocolate Almond Spice Cookies) 1994

Almonds are real work-horses in gluten-free baking. They are the basis for these rolled out cookies. You don't have to be on a gluten-free diet to like them. They are a stunning blend of the nuts, chocolate and spices (cinnamon and cloves). Bonus is that they roll out easily for cutting into shapes. I didn't find the dough sticky as the recipe suggests. These roll out easily between sheets of wax paper. They do want to sit for 3 hours before baking. They are meant to be crisp! These cookies, originally from Switzerland, have a firm consistency that holds up to handling. Add to these features the subtle spices (cinnamon and cloves) that most people don't combine with chocolate, and these are winners. They remind me of Mexican chocolate used for hot cocoa. The one drawback is that the sugar in these cookies gives a gritty consistency. I would try a superfine sugar next time. Ingredients storage note: The dough gets mixed in a food processor, and because you sta...

#22 Pine Nut Macaroons 1960

These hold their shape - happy dance! Plain in back row, candied orange peels added in front row. Egg white wash helps hold pignoli. I have made similar cookies. In fact, the very first cookie in the book, Cajun Macaroons, is similar in type and style. These require blanched almonds (see previous post), pulverized in a food processor or blender with egg white, then mixed with sugar and a bit of liqueur. Tops get pine nuts over a light brushing of egg white. Too simple a recipe to let it be, I wanted to try some variations. Candied orange peel to the rescue! Recalling the Cornetti I just made, I added finely pulverized candied orange peel to part of the dough. Another portion got larger bits of the candied peel. The plain ones were light and almondy, as expected. The key difference from the earlier macaroons is their shape; they come out of the oven exactly the same shape as they go in. No melting flat in the heat of the oven. Ultimate control achieved! Pignoli stick t...