Chocolate Almond Sandwich Recipes

CHOCOLATE ALMOND CRESCENTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in almonds and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours or until firm enough to shape., Preheat oven to 350°. Shape 2 teaspoons of dough into 2-in.-long logs; form each log into a crescent. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Dip cookies halfway into melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper. If desired, sprinkle with coconut. Let stand until set. Cover dipped ends of cookies with waxed paper; dust undipped ends with confectioners' sugar. Store between pieces of waxed paper in airtight containers.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Whipped Creme Fraiche: Whisk cream with vanilla and salt until thickened and silky but not yet forming peaks. Add sugar and creme fraiche; whisk to soft peaks, 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 8 hours; stir before using.
• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Add almond flour and salt; beat to combine. In a separate bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low until frothy. Increase speed to medium-high and beat to soft peaks, about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff but not dry peaks form, about 1 minute more. Stir one-third of egg-white mixture into batter until no streaks remain. Gently fold in remaining egg-white mixture just to combine (do not overmix). Transfer to prepared pan; gently smooth top with an offset spatula.
• Bake until puffed slightly and set along edges but still slightly wobbly in center, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely, about 2 hours. Remove sides of pan. Using a spatula, gently lift cake from pan; slide onto a cake plate. Lightly dust with confectioners' sugar. Cut into wedges; serve with creme fraiche and raspberries.

SIMPLE CHOCOLATE-COVERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Set a pot of water over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add a double boiler to the top of the pot and lower heat to a simmer.
• Add chocolate and coconut oil to the double boiler. Stir until chocolate is melted.
• Place a drip rack over a parchment-lined pan. Place almonds on top of the drip rack. Pour chocolate over the almonds. Allow chocolate to dry.
• Once dry, store almonds in a resealable container.

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Special equipment: a 9-inch springform pan
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust: Add the chocolate graham crackers and the almonds to a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add the butter and salt and process to the consistency of wet sand. Press the crust into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the topping: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and almonds. Using your fingers, work in the butter until the mixture has the texture of a crumble topping. Set aside.
• For the filling: Place the cream cheese, sugar and yogurt in a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, almond extract, vanilla extract and salt; beat another minute on medium. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the chocolate until combined. Pour the filling over the crust and sprinkle evenly with the crumble topping.
• Bake until the center of the cake is just set, 45 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely chilled.
• Serve cold, with a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.

CHERRY ALMOND WHITE CHOCOLATE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl until combined. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until smooth and incorporated. Add the vanilla, egg and egg yolk and mix until incorporated. Then add the flour mixture, sour cherries and white chocolate. Mix until incorporated.
• Scoop a level tablespoon of dough, roll in a ball and, using fingertips, pull apart into two equal pieces. (You'll have 36 to make 18 sandwiches.) Place the formed dough balls on one of the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are slightly golden and the middles are still soft but not wet, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 20 to 30 minutes on the baking sheets.
• For the filling: While the cookies are cooling, beat the almond butter, confectioners' sugar, butter and salt with a hand-held mixer until whipped and light, about 2 minutes. Chill the filling until ready to assemble the cookies.
• To assemble: Spread 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the bottom side of a cookie. Place another cookie, bottom-side down, onto the filling. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• For the sandwich cookies: In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut sugar and butter. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the cocoa powder, baking soda, almond extract, salt and eggs and mix to combine. Fold in the oats and mini chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Scoop 15 heaping tablespoon-size rounds of dough 1 inch apart on each prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies are just set around the edges and still soft in the middle, 10 to 11 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, cocoa powder and salt. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling on the flat side of half of the cooled cookies. Sandwich the remaining half of the cookies, flat side against the filling. Store in the refrigerator and remove 30 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND GRANOLA

Steps:

• Roughly chop the dates and add into a blender along with the boiling water. Cover and set aside to soak for 20 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and lightly grease a large, rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Add the almond butter, cocoa powder, maple syrup to taste, oil, vanilla and salt to the blender and blitz until smooth (a few bits of dates is totally fine).
• Stir the oats and almonds together in a large bowl and add the cocoa mixture. Mix very well until evenly combined, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Spread the mixture into an even layer and bake until crisp and crumbly, stirring about halfway through, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Cool the granola to room temperature, then break any large chunks up and transfer to a resealable container and store at room temperature for up to 1 month. Serve with milk, on yogurt or enjoy out of hand.

CHOCOLATE- AND ALMOND-DIPPED SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• For cookies:
• Place slivered almonds in processor and add 1/4 cup sugar. Grind almonds finely. Using electric mixer, beat butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add ground-nut mixture and flour and beat until moist clumps form. Gather dough into 2 balls; flatten each ball into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out half of dough between sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper to scant 1/4-inch thickness, sprinkling dough lightly with flour as needed to keep from sticking and occasionally peeling off top paper to remove wrinkles. Peel off top sheet. Using 2 1/2x1 1/2-inch oval cookie cutter (or cardboard template), cut out cookies. If dough is soft, slide rimless baking sheet under paper and chill 10 minutes to firm. Transfer cookies to prepared sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Gather scraps and reroll dough, cutting out more cookies. Chill cookies on sheets 15 minutes before baking.
• Position racks in top third and bottom third of oven; preheat to 325°F. Bake cookies 5 minutes. Reverse sheets and bake until cookies begin to color, about 6 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to racks; cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
• For filling:
• Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Let cool until thick but still spreadable, about 2 hours.
• Place half of cookies, bottom side up, on work surface. Spoon ganache filling into pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch plain tip. Leaving 1/4-inch plain border, pipe (or spread) ganache on cookies. Top each with second cookie, bottom side down, pressing to adhere.
• For garnish:
• Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth. Place almonds in small bowl. Dip end of 1 cookie in chocolate, then in almonds. Transfer to sheet of foil. Repeat with remaining cookies. Let stand until garnish is set. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight in refrigerator in single layers between sheets of waxed paper.