A Simple Danish Sand Cake - Sandkage

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I hope you are in the mood for something a bit different. Sandkage is the Danish version of pound cake, and the one I want to share with you is unlike those you've tasted before. There are as many ways to make this cake as there are Danish grandmothers lurking in the kitchens of memory. I had the great good fortune to have my first taste of it in the kitchen of a neighbor when I was a child. The cake I'm familiar with used almond meal rather than the cornstarch that is found in most recipes for the cake. To be honest, I am not crazy about the texture of the cornstarch version of sandkage. I much prefer the slightly grainy texture of the cake when it is made with almond meal. Back in the day, there were no processors to make easy work of grinding nuts and seeds. We used a glass milk bottle to crush nuts placed in the bottom of a wooden salad bowl. It was was an inelegant but effective way to prepare the meal needed to make a genuine sandkage. Somewhere along the way, I lost my recipe for the cake, and rather than settle, I stopped making it. You can imagine my delight when I found Barbara Bordnick's recipe in The Way We Ate. It was very close to the version I remembered and I simply had to give it a try. I must tell you that I really like this cake. It is perfect with morning coffee and it makes a wonderful base for crushed and macerated fruit. The recipe is straight forward and I do hope you give it a try. While I've taken the liberty of adding almond extract to the base recipe, it is optional and you can omit it if you wish. Here is how a real sandkage is made.

Mary Todd Lincoln's Courting Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know, I know! I'm a few days late, but my intentions were good. I had planned to feature this recipe on Lincoln's birthday, but things around here are moving at a dervish pace and, despite a background in logistics, I am, for the moment anyway, at the mercy of my environment. We have sold and bought a house and are in the throws of sorting and packing items that will work in quarters smaller than I have seen since I was a bride. While we are not yet members of the small house movement, we are about to shed 1,000 square feet and I feel positively heroic as we undertake this endeavor. It's a good thing that the Silver Fox and I like each other, though that may change when he learns that some of his favorite, carefully collected ceramic hippos may have to be sacrificed to fit the confines of a much smaller place and simpler lifestyle we have chosen. To ease the pain, I made this cake for him tonight and I am happy to report it ain't half bad. The recipe comes from the Lincoln National Historic Site and they believe it is much like the one that Mary used to make the cake she served to Abe when he came a-courtin'. The realist in me wants to point out that Bundt pans are not part of our culinary history, but I guess all good stories need a bit of embroidery, so I'll be standing down and just report that this is a nice cake. It is a cross between a sponge and pound cake and it develops a lovely flavor as it sits. I'll probably be making this again, but next time I think I'll replace vanilla with almond extract to intensify the almond flavor of the cake. Make sure you coat your pan well, as this cake doesn't want to leave the pan. I think those of you who try the Courting Cake will be pleased. It is easy to make and very flavorful. Here is how it is made.

Cream Cheese, White Chocolate and Almond Coffee Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This coffee cake is a bit of a cheat. It gets a head start by using frozen bread dough which can be homemade or the kind you purchase at the supermarket. Once the dough has thawed, this ladder-style coffee cake can be table ready in about 90 minutes. The recipe is simple and straight forward, but there is one point at which you might get into trouble. The filling for the ladder should be spreadable but not runny. Sometimes a large egg will add too much liquid to the filling and cause it to spill out from the dough. You can avoid this by using a smaller egg, or adding the large egg by tablespoons until the filling can be spooned onto the bread dough and still hold its shape. While this coffeecake is over the top when made with Danish or puff pastry, it is still quite good when ordinary bread dough is used. If you like white chocolate and need a new recipe for coffeecake, why not give this one a try. Here is how this simple cake is made. 

Cranberry and Almond Quick Bread with White Chocolate Glaze

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of those breads that fall into the simply delicious category. It is easy to prepare and all the ingredients needed to make it, including the flavored coffee creamer, can be found in any large supermarket. It is hard to go wrong with this recipe, but you can make your bread even better, by toasting the almonds and using the full compliment of almond extract that's called for in the recipe. The bread is a great keeper and it ages really well. The white chocolate glaze is unexpected, but it is a wonderful compliment to the cranberries and nuts used in the bread. The loaf would make a wonderful addition to a tea table and I know it will be welcomed by those of you who are tired of the old cranberry and orange combination. Here is how this more upscale version is made.

Cranberry and Almond Quick Bread with White Chocolate Glaze...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Midwest Living magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
2/3 cup chopped almonds, toasted if you like
White Chocolate Glaze (see recipe below)

Directions:
1) Rinse cranberries in cold water; drain. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Line bottom of pan with waxed paper; grease. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
3) In a medium bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and almond extract. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in cranberries and the chopped almonds. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
4) Bake in a 325 degree F oven about 75 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.
Before serving, unwrap bread. Drizzle with White Chocolate Glaze and sprinkle with additional toasted almonds. Makes 1 loaf (12 slices).

White Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:
1/4 cup white baking pieces
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon French vanilla liquid coffee creamer

Directions:
In a small, microwave-safe bowl, microwave white baking pieces on 50 percent power (medium) for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring once or twice. Stir in powdered sugar and French vanilla liquid coffee creamer. If necessary, stir in additional coffee creamer, 1 teaspoon at a time, until glaze reaches drizzling consistency. Makes 1/4 cup.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Hazelnut-Anise Cookies

Two Years Ago Today: Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares

Three Years Ago Today: Warm Black Bean Dip

Four Years Ago Today: Maple Chocolate Walnut Bars

Pillow Soft Almond Sugar Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have a fondness for almond flavored sweets and treats, so when I saw the recipe for these soft and chewy cookies, I knew I had to give them a try. I found the recipe on Confections from the Cody Kitchen and I decided to serve the cookies with the ice milk I had planned for our holiday dessert. The cookies are quite easy to make and they are delicious, but having made them, I have a couple of thoughts to share with you. While the first is a matter of personal taste, I recommend using less almond extract than is called for in the original recipe. I found 2 teaspoons to be overpowering, so I cut the quantity to 1-1/2 teaspoons and added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla to make up the difference. I also had to experiment with how long the cookies should bake. At the 8 minute mark, my cookies were so soft they could not be moved. Allowing them to sit did not improve the situation, so the batches after that were cooked for about 11 minutes. I cook with a conventional, rather than convection oven and that might explain why mine took so long to bake. If you like sugar cookies that are soft and chewy, I urge you to give this recipe a try. Here is how these  cookies are made.

Pillow Soft Almond Sugar Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Confections from the Cody Kitchen

Ingredients:
1-1/2 Cups white sugar
2/3 cup butter (cold)
2/3 cup shortening (room temp)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
2-3/4 Cups cake flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarse sugar for rolling dough balls

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2) Cream sugar, butter and shortening. Stir in eggs and almond extract. Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt and add to butter/egg mixture. Use electric mixer to ensure dough is thoroughly combined.
3) Chill dough in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4) Working in batches, roll 2 teaspoons of dough into a ball and roll in raw sugar. Place on prepared pan about 1-inch apart. Return unused dough to refrigerator between baking batches.
5) Bake cookies for 7 minutes 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and gently press rounded tops of cookies flat with  back of a spoon while the cookies are still warm and pliable. Allow cookies to cool on pan for 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Yield: 36 to 40 cookies.








One Year Ago Today: Crumb Cake


















Two Years Ago Today: Mango Mousse


















Three Years Ago Today: Pork Tenderloin in a Salt Crust














Four Years Ago Today: Steak Diane Flambe

Almond Kringler for St. Lucia day

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...St. Lucia Day's is nearly here and because I've exhausted the recipes usually associated with the holiday, I've decided to feature a few other Scandinavian treats that would be perfect for her feast day. The reasons that might explain why the world's only practicing Catholic, Quaker, Buddhist celebrates a Swedish holiday are many, but their roots can be found in a childhood friendship and adventures shared with Claire, whose story can be found here. Claire, loved crisp, crumbly pastries and she'd be an enormous fan of the almond kringler that I'm featuring today. Its origins are fuzzy. Some insist the cake is a Danish creation while others contend it's Swedish through and through. I strongly suspect the real truth can be found in the test kitchens of Betty Crocker, but more of that later. We do know that in the late 1800's a group of Danish immigrants settled in Wisconsin and brought with them a filled pastry they called a kringle. Their kringle was originally pretzel-shaped, but over time it morphed into a circular or rectangular form. It's country of origin also became cloudy, with some boldly attributing creation of the crisp and buttery pastry to the Swedish. The impass might never have ended had Betty Crocker not introduced American homemakers to her "Danish Puff" cake in the late 1960's. The original recipe, found here, immediately became popular and it is still treasured by many who consider it to be a family heirloom. The cake, which is buttery and flakes like a true Danish, is incredibly easy to make and looks like it was made by a pastry chef. The kringler is delicious and I highly recommend this recipe to all of you who have not yet made it. I used the version developed for the King Arthur website. It adds a layer of jam to the cake that was not part of the original recipe. It is also less sweet because it uses less glaze. I really hope you will give the almond kringler a try. You won't regret it and it would be perfect way to start to your Christmas morning. Here's how is made.

Almond Kringler...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
First Layer
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter*, cut into pats or 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
*If you're using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Second Layer
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter*
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, at room temperature; warm them, in the shell, in hot tap water for 10 minutes if they're cold from the fridge
1 teaspoon almond extract
*If you're using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Topping
2/3 cup jam or preserves
1/2 to 2/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted in a 350 degree F oven for about 7 to 10 minutes, or until they're a light, golden brown
Icing
1/2 cup confectioners' or glazing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons milk or water (approximately)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a large cookie sheet.
2) To make first layer: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine butter, flour, and salt (if you're using it), working butter into flour with a pastry blender or fork, your fingers, or a mixer. Mix until everything is crumbly, then stir in water. Dough will become cohesive, though not smooth. Divide dough in half; if you're using a scale, each half will weigh about 4-5/8 ounces. Wet your hands, and shape each piece of this wet dough into a rough log. Pat logs into 10 x 3-inch rectangles on sheet, leaving at least 4-inches (but preferably 6") between them, and 2" on each side. These puff up in oven and you need to leave them room for expansion.
3) To make second layer: In a medium-sized saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Stir until butter melts, then add flour (and salt, if you're using it) all at once. Stir mixture with a spoon till it thickens, begins to steam, and leaves sides of pan; this will happen very quickly.
    Transfer dough to a mixing bowl, or bowl of an electric mixer. Beat it at medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just to cool it down a bit. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat until dough loses its "slimy" look, and each egg is totally absorbed. Mix in almond extract.
    Divide batter in half. Spread half of batter over one of dough strips on pan, covering it completely. Repeat with remaining batter and dough. With a spatula (or your wet fingers) spread batter until it completely covers entire bottom layer of dough. Smooth it out as best you can.
    Bake pastry for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until it's a deep golden brown. Remove it from oven, and transfer each pastry to a wire rack.
4) To make third layer: Spread each warm pastry with about 1/3 cup of jam or preserves. (Any flavor is fine, but our favorites are raspberry and apricot.) Sprinkle toasted almonds atop jam. By this time, your beautifully puffed pastries are probably starting to sink; don't worry, this is to be expected.
5) To make icing: Stir together sugar, vanilla, and enough milk or water to form a thick but "drizzlable" icing. Drizzle icing atop pastries. Cut into squares or strips to serve. Yield:12 to 16 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Suliman's Pilaf and Duck Breast with Cherries

Three Years Ago Today: Irish Boxty and Jewish Latkes

Viennese Sandwich Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If the smell of flax soap was added to the aromas coming from my kitchen, I'd swear the ghost of Christmas past had reversed time and plunked me in the basement of the apartment complex where I spent my childhood. As Christmas approached, the basement captured the aromas of the cooking being done in the townhouses to the right of ours. The scent of cinnamon and cardamon mingled with that of nutmeg and cloves and one of my favorite pastimes was guessing who was baking on any given day. Hannie and Mrs. P. commanded those kitchens and began their holiday preparations early in December. Hannie took Christmas decor as seriously as she did its baking. Her home was festooned with garlands and boughs and gifts wrapped so beautifully it would hurt to tear them open. The house itself was as comfortable as a Bavarian ski chalet and everyone who entered it felt comfortable and welcome. While Hannie was hanging her garlands, Mrs. P. began her holiday preparations with a cleaning so thorough that it would put the Merry Maids to shame. She washed and scrubbed and polished till every surface gleamed and the smell of flax soap couldn't be separated from the pine scent of her Christmas tree. By the time she was finished, you could perform surgery on her dining room table. Both women made lovely, if quite different, homes, and both kitchens were models of wonderfully wretched excess. I've already shared their holiday recipes with you, so tonight I wanted to feature a recipe I know they would both love and add to their collections. Like so much of what they did, these cookies, too, are a study in wretched excess. They are a lot of work, but they are also the kind of cookie people love to eat. I do hope you will give them a try. Here's the recipe.

Viennese Sandwich Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-2/3 cups ground almonds
1 cup apricot preserves
2 cups (12-ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

Directions:
1) Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Add almond extract and stir to combine.
2) Combine flour and ground almonds in another bowl. Mix well.
3) Gradually add dry ingredient to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/4-inch round cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
5) Bake for 7-9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
6) Spread jam on bottoms of half of cookies. Top with remaining cookies. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening and stir until smooth. Dip half of each sandwich cookie into chocolate mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 3 dozen.

One Year Ago Today: Cornmeal Dinner Rolls

Two Years Ago Today: Cranberry Glazed Pork Roast

Three Years Ago Today: Potato Soup

50 Women Game Changers in Food - # 50 Julie Powell - Queen of Sheba Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...and so it ends. Today we feature the work of Julie Powell who holds the final position on the Gourmet Live list of 50 Women Game Changers in Food. Strangely enough, the journey of the past year ends with a young woman who owes her career to the first woman who appeared on the list. We have come full circle, and due to the circumstances that connect these two women, will end this series where it started, with the recipes of Julia Child. Julie Powell, an aspiring writer caught in the limbo of a dead end job, challenged herself to complete the 524 recipes that encompassed Julia Child's first book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in 365 days. She created a blog, The Julie/Julia Project, to record her progress and gained an audience as she wrote and worked her way through the challenge. The blog went on to become a book, 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, and her experiences in writing it became half of the plot for the movie Julie and Julia. The world is full of people who talk, but do not do. Julie Powell had a great idea, and while she is not Harper Lee or Julia Child, she carried her idea to fruition and has been rewarded for it. She made her dream come true. Her initial publishing success has been followed by a second book, Cleaving: a Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession. It's a good read that will give you some insight into Julie Powell. She is currently working on a novel. Next week a few of us will share some final thoughts about the list of the nifty fifty. I hope you'll join us for one last look at those who were honored and those who were overlooked.

I decided to narrow the choice of recipes from which I'd choose today's feature by limiting myself to those that were prepared in the movie Julie and Julia. I settled on Julia's Reine de Saba, or Queen of Sheba Cake because it is a bit festive and I knew it was delicious. This chocolate and almond cake was very popular when it was first discovered by Julia's army of followers. While I have not made it in recent years, there was a time when it was a regular feature on my table. The recipe has appeared in several of Julia's books, and interestingly enough, it isn't always prepared in the same way. She appears to have done some experimentation with ways of folding egg whites and flour into the cake batter. Fortunately, they all work and produce a delicious cake that I hope you will try. Here's the recipe.

Reine de Saba - Queen of Sheba Cake with Chocolate Glaze...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Julia Child and Julie Powell

Ingredients:
4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons dark rum or strong coffee
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup blanched almonds pulverized with 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup plain bleached cake flour, in a sifter set on wax paper

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Set rack in the lower middle level. Butter and flour an 8 x 1 x 1-1/2-inch round cake pan.
2) In a double boiler or bowl set over a pan of water, combine chocolate and rum or coffee. Bring water to a simmer, cover, and let chocolate melt, stirring until smooth. Turn off heat.
3) In a 3-quart mixing bowl, use a hand-held electric mixer to cream the butter until soft and fluffy, then add the 1/2 cup sugar. Beat 1 minute, then beat in the yolks, one at a time.
4) In another mixing bowl, beat whites until foaming, beat in cream of tartar and salt, and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff, shining peaks form.
5) Blend warm melted chocolate into the yolk mixture, then blend in almonds and almond extract. Stir a quarter of the egg whites into chocolate to lighten it.  Scoop remainder whites over chocolate and, alternating with sprinkles of the flour, rapidly and delicately fold in whites and flour.
6) Immediately turn batter into the prepared pan, tilting it in all directions to run it up to the rim, and set it in the oven.
7) Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cake has puffed to top of pan and a toothpick plunged into it 2 and 3 inches from the edges comes out clean. (Center of cake should move slightly when pan is gently shaken.
8) Remove pan to a rack and let it cool for 15 minutes, then unmold onto rack. Let it cool completely, at least 2 hours, before storing or icing. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Chocolate Glaze for Cake:
Combine 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate and 2 tablespoons rum or coffee in a double boiler (or in a heatproof bowl sitting on top of a saucepan of barely simmering water) and melt slowly, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and beat in 6 tablespoons butter, one tablespoon at a time. Beat over a bowl of ice water to cool to a spreading consistency, and spread over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if desired. Serve immediately or chill until needed. Allow to sit out and come to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before serving.


The following bloggers are also featuring recipes associated with Julie Powell. I hope you'll pay them all a visit. They are all great cooks who have wonderful blogs.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan - The Spice Garden
Heather - girlichef, Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades
Mary - One Perfect Bite, Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts
Linda A - There and Back Again, Nancy - Picadillo, Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits
Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen, Annie - Most Lovely Things, Jeanette - Healthy Living
Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce - More Time at the Table
Kathy - Bakeaway with Me, Martha - Simple Nourished Living, Jill - Saucy Cooks
Sarah - Everything in the Kitchen Sink

Apricot and Almond Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Those who like European-style cookies will really enjoy this nut shortbread that gets a flavor boost from the addition of dried apricots and a drizzle of Amaretto icing. The cookies are barely sweet, so I know they won't be to everyone's liking, but if you are looking for a new cookie to serve with tea or espresso, I urge you to take a good look at the recipe below. I love these cookies and the ease with which they come together. The recipe was developed by Giada De Laurentis who has two versions of it available. One is made with dried cherries, the other with dried apricots. I favor the one made with apricots and recommend it to you without reservation. The cookie is very easy to make, but because the dough must chill for several hours before baking, you'll need to factor wait time into your plans should you decide to try them. They are worth waiting for. While the dough for the cookies can be frozen, the baked cookies are not great keepers, so don't make more of them than can be eaten within 48 hours or so. I do hope you will try them. Here's the recipe.

Apricot and Almond Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Giada De Laurentis

Ingredients:
Cookies
1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Icing
1-3/4 cups powdered sugar
5 to 7 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur

Directions:
Cookies
1) In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in eggs. Add flour and beat on the lowest speed until just blended. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dried apricots and nuts.
2) Transfer dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Dough can be made up to 3 days in advance).
3) Arrange an oven rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
4) Cut log crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Transfer the dough slices to prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges and puffed, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing, about 30 minutes. Yield: 48 cookies.
Icing
5) Put powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in Amaretto, until the mixture becomes a drizzling consistency.
6) Put cooled cookies on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or a fork, drizzle cookies with icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto baking sheet. Allow icing to set before serving, about 1 hour.










One Year Ago Today: Pumpkin Peanut Risotto













Two Years Ago Today: Moroccan Carrots

Cranberry Almond Muffins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Seasonal promotions for canned pumpkin and cranberry sauce have started. I'm not immune to the lure of lovely displays, so I always stock the pantry as soon as they appear. The recipe I'm featuring today is seasonal and I don't use it much past the Thanksgiving holiday. It's a nice recipe and makes good muffins, but in a world of great muffins, it really is not my best or favorite. That being said, these muffins appeal to a lot of folks and I get a lot of requests to make them at this time of year. I suspect the sauce buried in the muffins is the lure. Cranberries and almonds have a natural affinity for each other and they marry well in this recipe. While it's easy to go overboard with almond extract, its use here is controlled and the end result is a muffin that nicely balances two strong flavors. I really think you'll enjoy them. They are certainly worth a try. Here's the recipe

Cranberry Almond Muffins ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Janice Pletscher

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sliced almonds, divided use
1/2 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or line standard muffin cups with paper liners.
2) Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3) Combine eggs, sour cream, butter and almond extract in another bowl.
4) Stir wet ingredients into flour mixture, mixing just until moistened. Fold in 1/2 cup almonds.
5) Fill prepared muffin cups half full;. Drop 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce into center of each muffin. Cover with enough batter to fill cups three-fourths full. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.
6) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 8 muffins.








One Year Ago Today: Chicken Gumbo















Two Years Ago Today: Beef Bourguignon










You might also enjoy these recipes:
Pear and Cranberry Muffins with Cinnamon Pecan Topping - The Technicolor Kitchen
Macaroons Orange-Cranberry Muffins - The Food Duo
Apple and Cranberry Muffins with Granola Topping - SwEEts
Orange Cranberry Muffins - Baking Bites
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins - Trendy Relish

Homemade Almond Paste

I hope all who are celebrating Father's Day enjoy the day and are appropriately spoiled by their children. I found this quotation I thought you might enjoy. "By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong." -- Charles Wadsworth

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Sometimes necessity really is the mother of invention. I committed to make a European-style muffins, flavored with almond paste, for a Father's Day brunch. They aren't difficult to make and they really are delicious. Under normal circumstances, it would be a pleasure, not a problem, to make them for everyone. Lest you think Murphy sleeps once you're in retirement, we really need to have a chat. I live in a community where you can buy almost any ingredient, at least at Christmas time. Once stocks of specialty items like candied fruit are gone, that's it for the year. The trend is creeping down the food chain and we've all learned to buy a year's supply of pumpkin and fresh cranberries while they are available. I was taken aback today, when what I thought would be a quick dash to market, turned into a cook's tour of community grocery stores. I was looking for almond paste. I couldn't find any and in a fit of pique spoke badly of all grocers west of the Hudson River. My thoughts were very colorful and I apologize to any whose relatives I denigrated. Fortunately, my better angels, armed with steely resolve took control and came up with a plan to make almond paste and get on with the remains of the day. I used the recipe from an old Taste of Home yearbook and I was really happy with the results. I actually made two versions of the almond paste. One was a from scratch effort that required blanching of whole almonds before they were ground and mixed with the sugar and egg white. The second effort used prepackaged pulverized almond meal. Interestingly enough, there was no difference in the taste of the two batches. There was, however, an enormous differences in the color of the paste they produced. The one made from the purchased meal was an unappealing tan in color and could not be used in recipes where color is important. The batch made from the blanched almonds was far more appealing and is the one I used to cook with today. The almond paste is easy to make if you have a blender or food processor, and while I wouldn't recommend its use in all applications, it worked well in the muffins I prepared. Here's the recipe. This is a great one to keep in your files for a rainy day.

Homemade Almond Paste...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups blanched almonds
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 egg white
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Place almonds in a food processor; cover and process until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, egg white, extract and salt; cover and process until smooth. 2) Divide almond paste into 1/2-cup portions. I like to roll each portion into a sausage shape and store them in airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 3 months. Yield: 1-1/2 cup.








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Caramel Sauce - Simply Recipes

Sumarterta - Icelandic Summer Skyr Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Its name lured me as surely as the siren's song lured mariners of myth to death on rocky shoals. How can you resist something called a Summer Skyr Tart? I had visions of blond nymphs dancing in the pale glow of midnight sun, sipping champagne as they nibbled on elegant and Lucullean tarts. The romance of it all caused me to commit to its creation before I did my research and learned that skyr does not reference the midnight sun. It's a popular dairy product that is similar to strained yogurt, or soft cheese, and it's used extensively in Icelandic cooking. So much for romance. I also learned that skyr is thicker than yogurt and a bit sweeter. The product is not available here, so I decided to go with a Greek yogurt cheese that I've used for other purposes. As I browsed through the recipe it became clear that this dessert was not going to fall into the "sweet thing" category. It consists of cookie base that is covered with a barely sweet mixture of egg whites, cream cheese and yogurt. It is finished with a sprinkling of toasted almonds and strawberries. The recipe was developed by Beatrice Ojakangas, but I found it on a great blog called The Bohemian Kitchen. This is a large, thin tart. It will not set if you use a smaller pan and go for height rather than diameter. I used a 12-inch spring form pan to make my tart. I also made some adjustments to the recipe which I've highlighted in red. I added a small amount of almond extract and a pinch of salt to the cookie base. I also covered it with a 1/2 cup of warm strawberry jam before adding the yogurt layer. Please note that the recipe uses raw egg whites. Some of you might be more comfortable using pasteurized eggs or powdered egg whites. I like to use reconstituted egg whites because it alleviates the problem of having to store unused yolks. The tart will not set in the hour suggested in the recipe, so plan on at least 6 to 8 hours chill before serving. Now comes the hard part. I won't be making this again. It is a nice dessert, but it is very understated and almost boring. I suspect the results might be different if the tart were made with skyr, but until I can find a source for it, I'll stick with strawberry short cake. I hope some of you will try the Sumarterta and let me know what you think. Here's the recipe.

Sumarterta - Icelandic Summer Skyr Tart...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Beatrice Ojakangas and the Bohemian Kitchen

Ingredients:
Tart Base
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup softened butter
1 whole egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup warmed strawberry jam
Filling
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup yogurt cheese
1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese
Garnish
12 strawberries, cleaned & halved
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 11 or 12-inch spring form pan and dust it with flour.
2) Combine flour, sugar, salt and butter. Mix with finger tips until coarse crumbs form. Add almond extract to egg and stir into crumb mixture, mixing well. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden. Set aside to cool. When cool brush surface with strawberry jam.
3) With a mixer, combine yogurt cheese or skyr with cream cheese and beat until combined and smooth.
4) In a clean bowl, whip egg whites with a small dash of salt until frothy. Add sugar and continue beating until the whites become stiff.
5) Fold cheese mixture into egg whites. Spread over cooled crust.
6) Sprinkle with toasted almonds and decorate with strawberry halves.
7) Chill tart for at least 6 hours. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.






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Fresh Strawberry Pie - Hands On Gourmet
Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake - The Pastry Studio
Strawberry-Sour Cream Ice Cream - Confections of a Foodie Bride
Strawberry Buttermilk Cake - Fork Spoon Knife
Strawberry Jam - Sea Salt with Food
Strawberry Mousse - Half Baked
Strawberry Parfait Pudding - Big Black Dog
Sumarterta - Cake and Vikings

Blueberry and Almond Coffee Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...You know the old saw, "...I cannot tell a lie." I usually ascribe to that, but there are times when the truth is murky and has to be explored a layer at a time. Today's recipe is like that. The truth is this is a wonderful cake. The other truth is that making this cake as directed could cause you a world of hurt. There are a couple of problems. It starts with non-specific instructions for pan size and that, of course, leads to a problem with baking time. Problems with baking time lead to a cake that is either brown and dry or damp and ridiculously sticky. I suspect this recipe, from Epicurious by way of Gourmet magazine, was never tested in a home kitchen. The good news is that it's tasty enough that others who found it on the Epicurious website, have played with it and made it workable. So, when a 2-1/2 quart casserole becomes a 9 x 13-inch pan and the amount of topping is doubled, you end up with a cake that fulfills its original promise. I take the added precaution of lining the pan with parchment paper so the cake can easily be released. Problems with sinking berries have been reported and some have found that dusting the berries with flour helps. Others aren't convinced. Some simply don't care. Fruit at the bottom of a coffee cake doesn't bother me, so I'm not concerned if my berries sink. If you use frozen berries, don't thaw them before adding them to the cake batter. This is a thick batter and you don't want it to turn purple with juice from mashed berries. This cake is truly lovely when it is served barely warm. It can be made a day before you need it and reheated just before serving. Having told you so much about what was wrong with this cake, I hope you'll remember I also said this is delicious. The cake is very easy to make. The changes needed to make it workable and something you'll be proud to serve are in the recipe below. They are highlighted in red. Here's how the cake should be made.

Blueberry and Almond Coffee Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups plus 6 tablespoons sugar
2 whole large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup milk
2 to 2-1/2 cups blueberries (15 ounces)
1 large egg white
2 cups sliced almonds

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13 x 2-1/4-inch baking pan ceramic or glass baking dish. Line the bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter it as well. Set aside.
2) Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and 1-1/4 cups sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in whole eggs, 1 at a time, then almond extract. Alternately add flour mixture and milk in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating on low speed after each addition until just incorporated. Fold in berries. Spoon batter into baking dish, spreading evenly.
3) Lightly beat egg white with a fork and add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar and almonds, stirring to coat.
4) Spoon topping over batter and bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack, then invert again. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 8 servings.







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Wishes and Yogurt Coffee Cake - Whisk
Old School Blueberry Cardamom Coffee Cake - Beloved Green
Sour Cream Toffee Coffee Cake - Christine's Cuisine
Orange Raisin Coffee Cake - Diethood
Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake - Kitchen Runway
Honey Cardamom Coffee Cake - Eating the Rainbow
Sour Cherry Coffee Cake - The Amateur Gourmet
New York-Style Crumb Cake - Gourmeted
Cocoa and Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake - The Sweetest Kitchen
Sour Cream and Cherry Coffee Cake - Baking and Boys
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Sour Cream Coffee Cake - The Apron Archives

German Chocolate and Almond Cocoa Cream Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Over time, I've collected many recipes and lots of ideas from Taste of Home magazine. The recipe for this cake, originally called Chocolate Lover's Delight, was developed by Sandra Hackney and it appeared in the magazine about a year ago. It's a wonderful cake and the recipe featured below is the one that was published in the magazine. What I want to talk about, however, is how the processes of making this delicious cake can be simplified. I have never found that German chocolate produces especially flavorful cakes. As a matter of fact, I think cake layers made with this type of chocolate are merely colorful vehicles for highlighting the tastes of other fillings and frosting. I've made this cake several times now, and I can tell you with certainty, that the icing is what sets this cake apart from others you may have tried. The secret to this cake is found in its grace notes, not in its layers. With that in mind, I decided to try the cake using a German chocolate cake mix. I made the cake following directions on the back of the box, save for the fact that I used three, rather than two, 9-inch cake pans to hold the batter. I've found that doing this eliminates the need to split layers once the cake has cooled. This of course alters baking time. Mine take about 20 minutes to bake, but timing is a fickle thing and you'll want to watch your layers carefully. The almond flavor in the finished cake comes from almond extract, so I've also decided to eliminate the ground almonds used to sprinkle on the layers. They add cost, not flavor, to the finished cake and have no texture that might make their use worthwhile. In the interest of transparency, I must tell you that I made extra icing, increasing the recipe by 1/2, to assure discernible layers and complete coverage of the cake for its photograph. I hope that, in its original or simplified form, you'll give this cake a try. It is really delicious. Here's the original recipe.

German Chocolate and Cocoa Cream Cake ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Sandra Hackney

Ingredients:
Cake Layers
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs, separated
2 ounces German sweet chocolate, melted
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting and Filling
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup Creme de Cacao
1/2 cup ground almonds

Directions:
1) Grease and flour two 9-in round cake pans; set aside. In large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg yolks, and melted chocolate till blended. Combine flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture till blended.
2) In large bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high till stiff peaks form. Fold into batter.
3) Transfer to pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
4) For frosting, beat cream, powdered sugar, cocoa, extract, and remaining salt till stiff peaks form.
5) Cut each cake horizontally into two layers; brush layers with cream de cacao. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; top with 1/2 cup frosting and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons almonds. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake; sprinkle remaining almonds over the top. Yield: 10-12 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
German Chocolate Cake - Lisa Is Cooking
German Chocolate Mousse and Valentine's Cookies - Nutritious Eats
German Chocolate Cake Macarons - Wives with Knives
German Chocolate Pie: Grannie's Recipe - Cooking with K
German Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Almond Icing - Barbara Bakes
Small German Chocolate Cake - Cookie Madness
Death By German Chocolate Brownie-Cookie - It's A Big Cookie, Dude
German Chocolate Ice Cream Cake - Sugar Plum Blog
What is German's Chocolate? - Baking Bites
German Chocolate Cake Brownies - Baking Bites

Mexican Chocolate Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Food for themed get-togethers rarely causes a problem for a host or hostess, though dessert can occasionally be a challenge. It would be a bit ludicrous to serve flan with football fare, so over the years I've found or developed recipes a bit more fitting for these informal gatherings. My dessert plans for our Southwestern-style Super Bowl gathering, include a moist fudge-type brownie made with Mexican chocolate and ground chiles, and a homemade dulce de leche ice cream that I'll serve with a salted caramel sauce. I'll save the recipe for the ice cream for another day and just concentrate on the brownies tonight. Mexican chocolate can be difficult to find, so rather than rely on the vagaries of the market place, I use a recipe whose ingredients create a reasonable facsimile of the real deal. I think most of you would agree that brownies are among the easiest desserts that can be made. This one is no exception. My recipe for Mexican chocolate brownies is inspired by one that appeared in Gourmet magazine over 15 years ago. While it is not my favorite brownie, it is my favorite for Mexican or Southwestern themed events. I've simplified the original recipe by using store-bought almond meal, and I have added a small amount of ground chili to give the brownies an authentic flavor punch. The chocolate-chili combination is not unusual in Mexican desserts and the flavors work well together. Do not use your standard chili powder to make these brownies. It contains cumin and other additives that don't work well with the chocolate. If you cannot find a New Mexico or an Ancho chili powder, a very small amount of cayenne pepper can be substituted. These brownies are dense and moist and almost like a confection. I think they are deliciously different. I hope you will too. Here's the recipe.

Mexican Chocolate Brownies ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup almond meal
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground pure chili powder (i.e. New Mexico or Ancho)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour. Set aside.
2) In a heavy 1-1/2-quart saucepan melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Remove pan from heat and let chocolate cool for 10 minutes.
3) Combine almond meal and sugar in bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Stir mixture into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and glossy. Stir in flour, salt, cinnamon and chili powder until just combined.
4) Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack before cutting into 16 squares. Brownies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature. Yield: 16 brownies.

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Dulce de Leche Liqueur Bundt Cake - The Daily Dish
Mexican Milk Chocolate Cake - Sugar Plum
Mexican Chocolate Cake - Bless Us O Lord
Simply Amazing Fried Ice Cream - $The Thrifty Couple in the Kitchen

Almond and Cherry Torte

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A happy convergence of incidents led to the creation of this buttery torte. While sorting through my pantry, I found a half-used container of glaceed cherries that were still edible and soft enough to use. The prior evening I'd stumbled on a, new-to-me, site called Cake Crumbs and Cooking The feature that day had been a cherry cake that sounded like it would be perfect for tea or dessert. A version of the recipe also appeared in Delia Online and in the BBC Good Food Magazine. Thus, armed with cherries and several recipes, all of which had been well-received, I began to make my first ever cherry cake. The first step was to convert ingredients from metric to standard US measure. That done, I made a few changes to the base recipe to reflect the fact I had no self-rising flour and only half the cherries suggested in the original recipe. Undeterred, I carried on and within two hours had a lovely cake with a soft buttery crumb and marvelous almond flavor. Unfortunately, while they added texture to the cake the taste of the cherries was barely perceptible. In an effort to keep the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the cake, I halved and rinsed the cherries as had been suggested. I took the additional step of tossing them with flour before adding them to the cake batter. All that changed nothing. They sank anyway and probably lost flavor when their syrup was washed away. The strange thing is that I liked the cake and found the fruit almost superfluous. The cake is barely sweet but the almond meal and topping make it extremely flavorful. It is far more like a Viennese torte that a cherry cake. Would I make it again? Not with glaceed cherries, unless I had leftover bounty from my Christmas cooking. While I've heard some classify this dessert as being cheap as chips, it is not inexpensive to make and, while it is lovely, I like more bang for my buck. For those of you who are curious, here's the recipe.

Almond and Cherry Torte...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, adapted from several British sources

Ingredients:
2 sticks (8-oz.) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 small container (8-oz.) glace cherries, halved and rinsed
1 cup (4-oz.) ground almonds
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup (2-oz.) flaked almonds
Confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of a high sided 8-inch cake pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Grease paper. Dust bottom and sides of pan with flour.
2) Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until incorporated. Add almond extract and mix to combine.
3) Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Fold into egg mixture. Fold in cherries, almonds and milk.
4) Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Level top and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake for 1¼ -1½ hrs or until cake has risen and is firm to the touch.
5) Remove cake from oven and cool in pan for 30 minutes. Turn pan onto wire rack to cool completely.
6) Dust top of cake with confectioners' sugar just before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Toscatarta - One Perfect Bite
Lemon and Almond Tart - One Perfect Bite
Chinese-Style Almond Cookies - One Perfect Bite

Chinese-Style Almond Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Almost everyone is familiar with the almond cookies that are served in Chinese restaurants. Did you know they are not Chinese? They originated in the West, and while they have been adopted by the Chinese, they are a creation of American-Chinese restaurants that spread, with affluence, back to the East. While they love sweetness, the Chinese are more likely to combine sweet with savory rather than serve a separate course of each. These days you will find Chinese bakeries and the desserts they sell are a testament to the ready acceptance of sweets by the Chinese people. The bakeries are important because most Chinese homes don't have an oven, so they can't do their own baking. I'm not the person you want to teach you the ins and outs of moon cakes, but I can walk you through the very simple steps required to make Chinese-style almond cookies. This is a lovely recipe to have in your arsenal and the cookies are truly simple to make. The recipe was created by Nancie McDermott. Here's how it's done.

Chinese Almond Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspooon salt
6 tablespoons butter, room temperatue
6 tablespoons shortening
1 large egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
16 to 32 whole almonds, with or without skins

Directions:
1) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk or sift to combine. Set aside.
2) Combine butter, shortening, egg, sugar and almond extract in another medium-sized bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until all ingredients are combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.
3) Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until everything comes together into a smooth dough. Dough is easier to shape when cold. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
4) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
5) Divide dough into two cylinders. If you opt to make 16 large cookies, roll each cylinder to a diameter of 2 inches. To make 32 smaller cookies, roll each cylinder to a diameter of 1-1/4 inches. Cut each cylinder into rounds and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet, positioning them about 2-inches apart. Press a whole almond into center of each cookie.
4) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheets. When completely cool transfer to a serving dish or an airtight container. Yield 16 large or 32 small cookies.

Other recipes for Chinese-style almond cookies can be found at:

About.Com: Chinese Food - Chinese Almond Cookies

Sunset: Chinese Almond Cookies

Appetite for China: Chinese Almond Cookies

Lemon and Almond Tart

This lemon and almond tart is one of the desserts that helped make Bob's birthday celebration so special. It's a simplified version of an Italian cheese pie that I made years ago and while this newer version is more sophisticated, it's not haughty. It's from my horde of treasured European-style desserts that are barely sweet but festive enough to end a special meal. The tart is made from common, readily available ingredients and it's inexpensive to make. One caution - like many custard based desserts this is best eaten the day it is made. Let's get to it.

Lemon Almond Tart

Ingredients:
Pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 stick (4-oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 large egg yolks
Filling
1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons (3-oz.) blanched almonds, toasted, finely chopped
3 tablespoons (1-1/2-oz.) blanched sliced almonds, toasted
Confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) To make pastry, place flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in center of flour; add butter, lemon zest and egg yolk. Using finger tips work flour until a dough forms. Do not overwork dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes.
2) To make filling, place ricotta and sugar in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest and almonds.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry to fit tart pan. Fit into pan and trim. Pour in filling, smooth top and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake until lightly brown and set, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Remove sides of pan. Sprinkle top with confectioners' sugar. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe adapted from The Essential Dessert Cookbook.