Kourabiedes cookies

Kouradiedes Cookies
(Powder Almond Cookies)

Ingredients

4 cups unbleached flour
4 sticks of unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/3 cups of ground toasted blanched almonds
6 tablespoons of powdered sugar plus more for coating
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
whole cloves, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a bowl whisk together the flour, salt and ground powdered almonds.

In a stand mixer cream together butter, powdered sugar and egg yolks until light and fluffy. Next lower speed on mixer and slowly add the flour mixture. Once combined roll into 1 inch balls, place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Now you can either leave them in a ball shape and place a whole clove in the center or flatten with your thumb, which i do. My neighbor who gave me this recipe said that the clove is the traditional way to make the cookies, i prefer them without the clove.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the are a light golden brown, transfer to cooling rack. Once the cookies are slightly cooled dust them with powdered sugar.

Enjoy Cooking

Fruity Nut Cookies

I entered a baking contest with this recipe, i would of won but i was told: " you would of won but there were too many ingredients and steps to your recipe. Our consumer wants simple and quick". Well then that should of been in the guidelines for the contest. I have not made these cookies in about 8 years, i think i will make them this year.

Fruity Nut Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup of rough chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup of minced dried apricots
1 cup of minced dried cherries
1 cup of rough chopped almonds
1 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup of minced dried currants
1/2 cup of rough chopped pecans
1/2 cup of hazelnuts - you need a 1/2 cup of finely ground hazelnuts
1 stick plus 2 table spoons of unsalted butter at room temp
3/4 cup of firmly packed brown sugar, dark
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In large bowl mix together the dried fruit, the rough chopped nuts and 1/4 cup of the flour and toss to coat. In another large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients including the ground hazelnuts.

In the stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Next add the egg, once combined lower the speed on the mixer and slowly add the flour mixture. Once combined you will need to hand stir in the fruit and nuts.

Using spoons, drop well rounded spoon fulls of dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place the spoon fulls 2 to 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Transfer parchment and cookies to cooling rack.

Enjoy Cooking

Chocolate Almond Cup Cakes

Since I was way most of October I will try to post two recipes a day.

These are prefect Breakfast cup cakes.

Chocolate Almond Cup Cakes

Ingredients

1 cup of blanched almonds
3.5 oz bar of Green and Blacks 70% cocoa bar
2 sticks of unsalted butter
9 egg whites - keep the yolks for another recipe
1 cup on unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
zest of two limes
2 table spoons of raw local honey
1/2 cups of Green and Blacks cocoa powder
1/2 table spoon of salt
2 table spoons of powder sugar


Directions

OK there are allot of steps to this recipe.

Place in food processor the almonds and a table spoon from the cup of flour, grind until a fine powder,

Over medium high heat brown the butter, the butter is brown when it gives off a nutty butterscotch aroma, remove from heat and set aside.

In a double boiler melt the chocolate, like in my other recipes remove from heat just before all the chocolate as melted and stir until smooth.

In another double boiler, actually I just use mixing bowls over a pot of water. Now the water is not boiling below its just shimmering. OK in another bowl over the water place the egg white, powder sugar (2 1/2 cups), honey and lime zest and whisk until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm, remove from heat.

In another bowl whisk all of the dry ingredients with the exception of the 2 table spoons of powder sugar.

Next add the egg mixture bowl to the stand mixer and place on the whisk attachment: slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the egg mixture; the mixture will be come thick. Keep whisking until smooth.

OK here is the tough part and you must do this slowly or the end result will be greasy. With the mixer on low add about 1/4 of the warm brown butter to the batter, do not add the next 1/4 cup and so on until the one before it has been completely incorporated. Take your time with the butter do not rush this part. Once all the butter has been incorporated add the melted chocolate; whisk until smooth.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Spray or line cup cake tins and spoon in batter until cups are 1/2 full. Bake until the cup cakes have racked and they are springy to touch, about 15 minutes. Note: rotate cup cakes half way through the baking process.

Remove from Oven transfer to cooling rack and dust with powder sugar.

Enjoy Cooking