Almond London Cookies

Almond London Cookies

Chinese New Year is here again! And yes, as usual will be busy in the kitchen whipping up goodies for this festive. This year, can't miss out Kuih Bangkit, I made a slight variation in aesthetic-wise by adding green coloring to highlight the presence of pandan in the cookies. :)
And this year, a NEW recipe I tried as well, the Almond London Cookies! These cookies can be an all-time-favorite for all due to the mouth-watering chocolate coating and especially the nibble-size cupcake look. Yet, super duper easy to make! Here's how~!

Ingredients: (Recipe yearns approx 50-60)

• 125g unsalted butter
• 75g icing sugar (sifted)
• 1 egg yolk (you can use the whites for royal icing or macarons!)
• 225g plain flour (sifted)
• 150g ground almonds / *Variation: plus 200g chopped almonds
• 1 teaspoon almond essence
• 450g dark chocolate

Steps:

Preheat oven to 170°C.

1) Using an electric whisk, cream butter and sugar till light ad fluffy.

2) Beat egg yolk and almond essence into batter till light pale yellow.

3) Add in sifted plain flour, fold well into a dough. (if too wet, may add in a bit more flour)

*Variation: May add chopped almonds into batter for a crunchier texture.

4) Pinch marble-size dough and roll into balls. Line balls of dough onto baking sheet on baking tray.

5) Bake 170°C for 20mins-25mins. Place baked cookies on tray to cool.

 

6) While cooling the cookies, line paper cups & melt dark chocolate in microwave. Divide each sessions to 20secs so that you won't burn the chocolate. I did an approx 2-3 sessions to melt the dark chocolates.

TIPS: I also added little coating milk chocolate (ratio of 1:5) to yearn a smoother flowing chocolate for easy pouring.

7) Using a teaspoon, drizzle some chocolate into base of each paper cases. Next, place each paper cases with a cookie.

8) Cover the cookies with more chocolate and sprinkle ground almonds on top.

9) Let chocolate sit to harden or you may chill in refrigerator for 5mins.

TADA! SERVE!

HAPPY PROSPEROUS RABBIT YEAR 2011!!!

Chocolate Eclairs (with Baileys Buttercream filling)

Bailey's buttercream eclairs

Using the same Choux Puff recipe, accompanied with ideas of interesting flavors, created a variation of the similar dessert - Baileys Buttercream Eclairs.


Choux Puff Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose-flour
• 1/2 tsp caster white sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup water (slightly lesser by 1/4 cup)
• 2 eggs (beaten)

Steps:
1) In a bowl, sift flour + sugar + salt. Set aside.

2) Melt and boil butter + water in a pot over medium flame. Remove from heat.

3) Quickly but gently add the sifted flour mixture in, keep stirring with a wooden spoon/spatula. Return pot to low heat, keep stirring will dough comes away from sides.

4) When dough turns into thick smooth ball, off the flame. Slowly pour in egg 1 tbsp by tbsp. Mix well till mash-potato-like paste.

5) Spoon into piping bag (DIY piping bag, click here to learn how to DIY). Pipe out long stripes of dough about 2 inches each.

6) Dip a fork into water and use it to create line-patterns on each dough. (This is the classic elcair look ^^)

7) Bake 15mins at 200°C, then reduce oven temperature to 170°C and bake another 30mins-40mins.

8) Once baked, let air out by slitting a tiny pocket at sides with a butter knife and cool 15mins.


Bailey's Buttercream Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 30ml baileys (approx 2 tbsp)
• 2 cups powdered sugar (add amount till right consistency)
• 1/4 tsp salt

Steps:
1) Cream butter with mixer till smooth.
2) Add salt & whisk well blended.
3) Add a bit of Baileys, whisk and add a bit more till complete.
4) Slowly add in tablespoon of powdered sugar bit by bit till cream consistency.


Completing Steps:
1) Use piping bag to fill the eclairs with the bailey's buttercream.
2) Melt some coating chocolate (my favorite is the dark chocolate!), use a spoon and coat the top of each elcairs with chocolate.
3) Best is to chill the eclairs first before serving!


ENJOY!

Famous Amos Cookies (recipe with dessicated coconut)

This is the second attempt in baking a so-called, replica of the famous Famous Amos Cookies (erm, do I see doubles? lol).

Well, it isn't the original recipe, which of course Famous Amos wouldn't allow any recipe leaks to happen. But result of this recipe is really very close to the real thing.

I mentioned the "second" is because in my first attempt, it was a different recipe but it didn't state the essence that I feel is it in the original, i.e. coconut. I always think that there is coconut in every bites on the Famous Amos cookies, as they get stuck in my teeth at times. (^o^) But it still tastes as good for my first attempt which you can find the recipe here.

Alright, that's for the first attempt and now the second as follows...

Ingredients:

- 125g butter

- 3/4 cup brown sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 egg

- 1 cup plain flour

- 1/2 cup cornflour

- 1/4 cup dessicated coconut

- 2 tbsp cocoa powder

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 500g dark chocolate chips

- 250g milk chocolate chips

Tips: Chocolate bars chopped into chunks would yearn a better texture.

Recipe:

[ Preheat oven to 180°C ]

1) Cream butter and brown sugar till pale yellow & fluffy with an electric mixer.

2) Add vanilla and egg gradually, mix well.

3) Sift in flour, cornflour, baking powder, cocoa powder and dessicated coconut.

4) Mix together thoroughly.

5) Add in dark chocolate chips & milk chocolate chips. Stir well.

6) Roll into balls onto baking sheet on baking tray.

7) Place in oven to bake for 10mins - 12mins on 180°C. Allow cookies to cool on rack for 10mins and remove to serve!

Langue De Chat (Cat's Tongue)

Ever tasted a light brittle biscuit sandwiched with either white chocolate or milk chocolate?

The texture is grainy and the crispy layer will soon melts in your mouth upon just a few munching.

Believed anyone would have tasted the infamous Hokkaido Shiroi Koibito (白い恋人) .

Yes, these kind of biscuits are known as the Langue De Chat that was possibly date to the 17th Century where at that period was the time where refined white sugar and piping bags were popular with the wealthy classes of Northern Europe. In Europe, they are sometimes known as "cat's tongue" as it is usually baked in long, flat and with rounded ends shape.

These biscuits are crisp, dry and brittle as the key ingredients includes cornflour and mainly of egg whites rather than whole egg. Because of the dry nature and ingredients used, these biscuits can be kept for quite a long time and are usually served with certain liqueurs and sparkling wines. =)

Alright, enough of the introduction.

Here's the recipe on how simple these biscuits can be made!

• 125g butter
• 100g caster white sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g flour
• 25g cornflour

Recipe can make approximately 12-15 sandwiched biscuits.
Preheat oven to 150°C.

1) Cream butter + sugar till fluffy. Sugar should melt into the butter.

2) Gradually add egg whites bit by bit while blending. Mix in vanilla extract.

3) Sift in flour + cornflour. Fold well. Mixture should turn into a paste-like texture.

4) Place mixture into piping bag. (You may use a plastic/ziploc bag, put it into a tall glass as shown & pour in the mixture. This is my best mess-free method.)

5) Pipe 2" strips onto tray that is lined with baking sheet.

6) Bake on 150°C for 20mins or until the edges turn slightly brownish.

7) Melt some coating chocolates under the double-boiler. Spread on the biscuit and sandwich another biscuit together. Serve!

Some ingredients you may need to purchase: