Chocolate Amaretti Recipes

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Adjust oven racks in the upper-third and lower-third positions. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Break the almond paste into small pieces and add it to the bowl of a food processer along with the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Process until the almond paste is very finely chopped and well incorporated with the salt and sugar. Add the egg whites and vanilla, and process until a smooth dough forms, about 30 seconds. With a small scoop or spoon, dollop the batter onto the baking sheets, 1 tablespoon at a time, spaced 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with a few almond slivers and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Bake until the cookies have risen and cracked slightly but are still soft in the center, 13 to 14 minutes; rotate the baking sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 9-inch springform pan the nonstick spray. Refrigerate. Microwave the chocolate until melted and smooth, stirring every 20 seconds, for about 1 minute.
• Combine the almonds and cookies in processor. Pulse until the almonds and cookies are finely ground. Transfer the nut mixture to a medium bowl. Add the butter and sugar to the processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Add the grated orange peel and pulse briefly, until incorporated. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Blend until the eggs are incorporated. Clean the sides of the mixing bowl and blend again. Add the nut mixture and melted chocolate. Pulse until blended. Clean the sides of the bowl. Blend again.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the center puffs and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes.
• Transfer the cake to a platter. Sift the cocoa powder over and serve.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and put on a full kettle. Have a large roasting tin ready. Butter 10 squares of foil, each about 15 x 15cm. Butter 10 x 200ml mini pudding tins, dust with flour, then tap out the excess. Cut 10 small circles of baking paper to fit the bottoms and drop one into each tin.
• Melt the butter and chocolate together in a pan, heating gently and stirring every so often. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, put the eggs and sugar into a large bowl and whisk with electric beaters for 10 mins, or until the mix is thick and foamy and holds a trail for a few seconds.
• Mix the ground almonds, flour and baking powder together. Splash 1 tbsp amaretto over the biscuits. Fold the cooled chocolate mix into the whisked egg and sugar using a large metal spoon. Follow with the flour mix, then work in the amaretto.
• Fill the tins one-third full, then drop in an amaretti biscuit and top up with mix, leaving a 1cm gap between the top of the mix and the edge of the tins. Loosely scrunch a foil square over the top of each tin. Put the tins in the roasting pan and pour hot water around - it should come about halfway up the sides of the puddings. Bake for 30 mins, then insert a skewer into one; a few damp crumbs should stick to the skewer - you don't want the puds to be totally dry.
• Meanwhile, make the fudgy sauce. Melt all of the ingredients together in a heavy-based pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days,then reheat on the hob or in the microwave on High for 1 min. To serve the puddings, turn onto plates and spoon over some of the sauce, allowing it to ooze over the edges. Sprinkle with shards of Salted almond brittle and serve straight away.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with waxed paper and butter the paper. Dust the inside of the pan with flour and tap out the excess.
• Melt the chocolates in the top of a double boiler over hot water or in a bowl in a microwave and set aside.
• Place the amaretti and almonds in a food processor and pulse several times, until the mixture is evenly ground. Turn out onto a sheet of waxed paper and reserve.
• Put the butter, sugar and eggs into the processor bowl and process until the mixture is satiny smooth and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. Stop to scrape the bowl occasionally.
• Add the amaretti and almond powder and the melted chocolate. Pulse until well combined. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven, on the center rack, for 25 to 30 minutes. The top will look dry and perhaps cracked; the center will be moist. Cool on a cake rack for 30 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the edge of the pan and turn out the torte. Peel off the wax paper, invert and cool on a rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar or cocoa.
• Slice thinly and serve at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.

CHOCOLATE-AMARETTI TORTES

Steps:

• For tortes:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter four 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Line bottom of cups with parchment paper rounds. Place on rimmed baking sheet.
• Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Using on/off turns, blend almonds, amaretti, cinnamon, and salt in processor until finely ground. Transfer to medium bowl. Add butter, sugar, and eggs to processor; mix until blended and smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Add cookie mixture and melted chocolate. Using on/off turns, process just until blended. Divide batter among custard cups. Bake until tops of tortes are dry and puffed and tester inserted into centers comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Transfer cups to rack; cool 15 minutes. Run small knife around edges of cups to release tortes. Turn tortes out onto rack and turn right side up; cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.)
• For topping:
• Beat together cream, sugar, and almond extract in medium bowl until cream holds peaks. (Can be made 4 hours ahead; refrigerate.)
• Place 1 torte on each of 4 plates. Top with dollop of whipped cream, sprinkle with crumbled amaretti, and serve.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch spring-form pan with nonstick spray and refrigerate.
• In a small bowl, microwave the chocolate chips, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.
• In a food processor, combine the almonds and cookies, and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl. Add the butter, sugar, and orange zest to the processor and blend until creamy and smooth. With the machine running, add the eggs one at a time. Add the nut mixture and the melted chocolate. Pulse until blended.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the center puffs and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter, sift the cocoa powder over, and serve.

CHOCOLATE-AMARETTI PARFAITS

Steps:

• Melt 1 1/2 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in the microwave; let cool. Mix with 1 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese and 1/3 cup sugar. Layer in glasses with raspberries and crumbled amaretti cookies.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI

Steps:

• Crumble almond paste into a food processor; add sugar and pulse until evenly combined. Add egg whites and process until incorporated. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Sift together confectioners' sugar and cocoa; gradually add to almond mixture and mix well., Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350° until tops are cracked, 17-20 minutes. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.