{things i made} cranberry-almond crumble cake
I made this cake for one reason and one reason alone: a few lingering bags of frozen cranberries were just begging to be used. My thought-process for the recipe was pretty simple. What to pair with the tart fruit? A sugary sweet crumble! And what would make the cake more texturally interesting? Almonds! The result was an incredibly moist, deeply flavorful cake (you can thank cinnamon, ground cloves, and almond extract for that). The treat won't last more than a few days in your kitchen–consider yourself warned.
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Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
a pinch of salt
¼ cup blanched slivered almonds, lightly toasted and chopped
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
Cake:
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
½ cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted and chopped
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly toast almonds on an un-greased cookie sheet until golden, stirring once, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. In small bowl combine topping ingredients, blending with fork until crumbly. Set aside.
2. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt into a bowl. Stir in cranberries and almonds.
3. In a medium bowl, beat together egg, 3/4 cup sugar, and oil. Add milk and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet (do not over-mix).
5. Pour batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square or 9-inch layer-cake pan. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over batter.
6. Bake at 375° for about 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Partially cool in pan on wire rack and slice.
{things i made} amaretti cookies
When it comes to making amaretti cookies, there always seems to be debate. Should you use whole nuts or almond paste? Is adding almond extract or almond-flavored liquor necessary? Will the end result be chewy or crispy? Most agree on one thing though: the Italian macaroons always are bursting with flavor. This version definitely delivers in that department: chewy, textured and light, the recipe sticks to the basics of ground nuts, sugar, and separated eggs. Interestingly, a fun little legend is associated with the dessert: when a bishop surprised the Italian town of Saronno with a visit, two residents quickly decided to make a welcoming sweet treat with their limited ingredients. The "amaretto" was born–and the couple received a blessing for a long, happy marriage in return.
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Ingredients:
3 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/3 cup caster (superfine granules) sugar
1.1 pounds blanched almonds, very finely ground in a food processor
Confectioners’ sugar, for rolling
Method:
1. In a large bowl, using a whisk beat the egg yolks. Gradually add sugar, whisking until well combined. Add the almond flour; whisk to just combine (do not over mix).
2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to barely a soft peak (do not over beat).
3. Using a large flexible spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the almond mixture (this will loosen the almond mixture). Fold in remaining egg whites just to combine (do not over mix). Cover and refrigerate amaretti batter for at least one hour.
4. Preheat oven to 325° F. Line trays with parchment paper, set-aside. Roll amaretti dough into ½-ounce balls, coat in confectioners’ sugar, and place on baking sheet (do not flatten cookies). Chill dough in between baking times to prevent cookies from spreading in the oven.
7. Bake until lightly golden, about 25 minutes.
{things i made} chocolate-almond crinkle cookies
I would be lying if I said I had a favorite dessert–there are just too many that I love for me to pick only one. However chocolate is definitely the ingredient that unites them all so these rich little cookies easily earn a top spot. If you've never tried so-called "crinkle cookies" you're in for a treat. Not only are they delicious, they are a lot of fun to bake: they start out small, puff up in the oven to crack their powderd-sugary coating, and stay perfectly chewy for days.
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Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
3 tablespoons of canola oil
3 large eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup confectioners sugar
Directions
1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Melt chocolate with oil in a medium pan over low heat, stirring until smooth.
3. Remove from heat and stir in eggs, granulated sugar, and almond extract.
4. Stir in flour mixture, then stir in almonds. Chill covered until firm, about 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift confectioners sugar onto a plate. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and roll balls as formed in confectioners sugar to generously coat.
6. Arrange balls 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until puffed and cracked but centers are still a bit soft, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to racks to cool.
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