Recipe: Yin Yang Almond Cookies

Recipe

Yin Yang Almond Cookies

Categories: dessert

Keywords:almond, almond extract, baking powder, butter, egg, flour, salt, semisweet chocolate chips, shortening, sugar, white chocolate

I am always disappointed when a Chinese restaurant serves me one of those tasteless, cardboard-like fortune cookies instead of the more elegant, buttery almond cookies. In this recipe, I have taken the traditional almond cookies and made them even more distinguished by dipping half way in dark and white chocolates. Serve them to your guests with ice cream or coffee and let them contemplate the meaning of yin and yang.

Ingredients

ALMOND COOKIES:

2-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
35 blanched almond halves
12 blanched almonds, ground to a powder
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

DARK CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon solid shortening

WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

8 ounces white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon solid shortening

Directions

TO MAKE THE COOKIES:

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Process the butter in a food processor until lightened. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Process in the egg, almond extract and ground almonds. Add the dry flour mixture and process all ingredients until mixed. Form the dough into a ball (if it seems stiff and dry, add a few drops of water). Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease several baking sheets and set aside.

Work with a small portion of dough at a time, refrigerating the remainder until ready for use. Pull off some dough and roll it into 1-1/2 inch balls. Place the dough balls on each baking sheet about 2-1/2 inches apart. Dip a glass in water and flatten the balls into 2-inch rounds. Using your finger, press an indentation in the center of each cookie, then place a whole almond in the depression.

Brush each cookie with the egg yolk and water mixture. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cookies become golden. Let the cookies sit for 3 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.

When the cookies have cooled, divide them into two batches. Heat the dark chocolate over hot, not boiling water, using a double boiler. Stir it constantly and allow it to melt slowly, incorporating the shortening as you stir. Dip one batch of the cookies into the dark chocolate glaze, stopping just below half way. Scrape off the excess chocolate from the bottom of the cookie, then set the cookies on a wire rack to cool. Repeat the process with the white chocolate and the other batch of cookies. It will take about 45 minutes for the glaze to set up. If desired, place the cookies in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

This recipe makes 33 cookies, which will keep in an air-tight container for about a week.

This Archived Page created between 1994 and 2001. Modified August 2007

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