CHOCOLATE AMARETTO COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Stack two matching, heavyweight, light to medium colored cookie sheets one inside the other (stacking two cookie sheets together keeps the bottoms of the cookies from getting too brown). Line with parchment paper.In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, sugar and salt until evenly incorporated.In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and lemon juice until they hold soft peaks.Add beaten egg whites and amaretto liqueur to dry ingredients and stir until mixture forms a soft, sticky dough, kneading with your hands if necessary. No need to be gentle here, we’re not making macarons.Lightly dust your hands with powdered sugar. Use a small cookie scoop to portion dough into 1-inch balls. Roll into a smooth ball, then roll in powdered sugar. Slightly flatten the ball between your palms, then place on prepared cookie sheet. Using your finger tip or the bottom end of a wooden spoon, gently press an indentation into the center of the cookie. Ideally, you’re looking for a bunch of small, thin cracks around the edges of the cookies as opposed to a few larger cracks. Repeat with remaining dough, leaving 1 inch of space between cookies.Bake for 25 to 28 minutes until bottoms are just barely golden (if you are NOT using doubled cookie sheets your cookies will brown much quicker, and will likely need less time, so watch them closely).While cookies are baking, prepare your filling. For jam filling, whisk together jam and amaretto in a small dish. For ganache, place chopped chocolate in a small, heat-proof bowl. Warm cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to bubble around the edges (do not let it boil). Pour over chopped chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Staring the center, slowly whisk, working in concentric circles, until chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth. Add amaretto and whisk until combined. Let cool until slightly thickened, but still fluid.For jam-filled thumbprints: take the cookies out about 5 minutes before they’re fully done. While they’re still hot, use the round bottom of a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon (something like a melon baller or even a marble would work too). Then drop small dollops of jam into the center of each cookie. Return to the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.For ganache-filled thumbprints: bake the cookies all the way through. Remove from the oven and use your measuring spoon/marble/etc to re-define the indentation. Cool slightly, then you can fill the lukewarm cookies with your ganache.Cookies will keep at room temperature in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Steps:

• 1. There’s one really good reason to make this – chocolate! It’s what makes the world go round, especially for my girls, they’d go mad for this.
  2. You can make it a few days before then just pimp it up with the accompaniments at the last minute. This is also a good one to do with the kids, as they can get involved in all the prep.
  3. Place the dark chocolate and a tiny pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl and sit it over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Leave to slowly melt, stirring occasionally.
  4. Meanwhile, separate your eggs so you have the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another. Add the sugar to the bowl of yolks and beat until the sugar has dissolved and its silky and smooth. Whisk the whites with a tiny pinch of salt until they form soft peaks – you should be able to hold the bowl upside down over your head without them falling out! In a third bowl, beat the cream until slightly thick and just whipped.
  5. Once the chocolate has melted, carefully lift the bowl out of the pan. Add 75ml (3 shots) of amaretto and the cocoa powder to your bowl of yolks and mix well. Tip in the cream and mix again, then fold through the melted chocolate until it’s well combined and a gorgeous colour. Finish by tipping in the egg whites, then keep folding, from the outside in in a figure-of-eight until the mix is smooth and evenly coloured. It will look a bit dodgy at first, but trust me it will come together. Spoon or ladle the mousse into a big serving bowl or divide between little glasses or cappuccino cups and pop in the fridge for an hour or two until set.
  6. Just before you’re ready to serve, give the mousse a lovely dusting of cocoa. Pop your dried cherries in a small pan, add a wineglass of amaretto then top with enough water to cover. Put on the heat and bring to the boil, then turn the heat off and leave to stand for a bit. This will bring the cherries back to life. Leaving them in the packet, bash up your sesame snaps in a pestle and mortar. Tip them out, and break up any larger bits that are left so its nutty with a caramelly kick and a bit of a crunch. Serve this in the mortar next to your chocolate mousse with a bowl of those beautiful cherries on the side so everyone can dig in and help themselves. It may look a bit rustic, but honestly, it’s the best chocolate mousse I’ve ever tasted!