Almond “Cookies”
¼ cup almond flour
3 Phyllo Sheets, thawed and covered with tea towel
¼ cup melted Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
¼ cup finely chopped Almonds
Vanilla Cream
1 cup 35% Whipping Cream, cold
½ vanilla bean, scraped, seeds only
3 tsp white sugar
Macerated Strawberries
1 ½ cups quartered fresh strawberries
1 ½ tsp white sugar
⅛ tsp fresh orange zest
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside a second, identical sized piece of parchment and baking sheet.
Start assembling the phyllo “cookies”. In a small bowl, combine sugar and almond flour to form an evenly mixed dust. Set sugar mixture aside. On a large, flat, clean work surface, place a single phyllo sheet down. Using a pastry brush, lightly paint the melted butter evenly on the top side of the sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 of the sugar mixture evenly over the butter, using your fingertips to gently distribute it as needed. Place the second phyllo sheet over, and repeat with butter and sugar mixture and top with the third sheet. Finally, brush the top layer with butter and evenly sprinkle the finely chopped almonds on top.
Using a round 3” ring cutter, cut 12 circular “cookies” out of the stacked phyllo sheets. Push the cutter down straight and firmly, twisting slightly if needed to form a clean cut. Using a small palette knife or spatula, carefully transfer the rounds over to the parchment-lined tray. Be sure to leave at least 1⁄2 “ space in between each round, and place them in a single layer. Place the second piece of parchment over the phyllo rounds, then place the second baking tray on top, sandwiching the lot.
Bake for 10-12 minutes on the middle rack, until the phyllo has crisped up and just barely started to turn a light golden. With oven mitts, carefully remove the top baking sheet and top parchment paper, and return to the oven for another 3-4 minutes, until the chopped almond topping starts to turn light golden. (Don’t walk away here! This only takes a little while, so stay close to the oven.) Remove from oven and let cool completely.
For speediest results, pre-chill a large metal mixing bowl by placing in the freezer for 5 minutes.
In chilled bowl, combine all ingredients and whip until soft peaks form. Keep refrigerated until assembly.
In a medium bowl, combine quartered strawberries, sugar and orange zest. Gently stir to combine and dissolve the sugar, and let stand at least 5 minutes to allow the berries to release their natural juices. Set berries aside at room temperature until ready to assemble.
For each serving, place a very small dollop of vanilla cream directly onto the centre of the dessert plate. Place a phyllo “cookie” on top of the cream, pressing down gently to prevent the dessert from sliding around. Top the cookie with a spoonful of whipped cream, then a spoonful of prepared strawberries. Top with a second cookie and repeat layering whipped cream and strawberries. Finish with the third cookie on top. If desired, dust with a fine sprinkle of icing sugar. Serve immediately.
- ó C chopped Unsweetened Chocolate
- ó C chopped Roasted Peanuts (shells and skins removed)
- 1 C All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- ó Tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter at room temperature
- ó C Smooth Peanut Butter (not natural peanut butter)
- 1 C packed Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs at room temperature
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, for sprinkling
- Confectioners’ Sugar, for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Chop unsweetened chocolate to roughly the size of garlic cloves and add to clean dry stainless steel
bowl. Add chopped peanuts, flour, baking powder and salt to same bowl then set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time
making sure to completely incorporate each egg before adding the next. Using a rubber spatula, add
peanut butter and combine till smooth followed by the dry mixture with chopped nuts and chopped
chocolate; mix until just combined.
Form the dough into golf ball sized balls and place on a parchment‐lined tray, leaving about 2 inches
between each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes until cookies are set but still have soft centers, 10 to 12
minutes. Cool on the baking sheet until they are slightly above room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Using an offset spatula, transfer cookies from tray to a wire rack and cool completely.
Sprinkle half of the cookies with cocoa powder and the other half with icing sugar using a fine‐mesh
strainer.
- 1⁄4
cup
cold
water
- 1
1⁄4
tsp
unflavoured
gelatin
powder
- 1
1⁄4
cups
heavy
whipping
cream
- 1/3
cup
sugar
- 1⁄2
tsp
vanilla
extract
- 1⁄2
vanilla
bean
- 1⁄4
cup
ice
wine
Pour
cold
water
into
a
small
heatproof
bowl.
Sprinkle
gelatin
powder
over
water.
Let
stand
until
gelatin
softens,
about
15
minutes.
In
a
small
skillet,
bring
1⁄2
cup
of
water
to
a
simmer
and
place
bowl
with
gelatin
in
simmering
water.
Stir
until
the
gelatin
has
dissolved.
Remove
bowl
from
water.
Combine
cream
and
sugar
in
a
heavy
medium
saucepan.
Carefully
split
the
1⁄2
vanilla
bean
pod
lengthwise
with
a
paring
knife
and
scrape
seeds
out
from
the
pod
with
the
back
of
the
blade.
Put
seeds
and
pod
into
saucepan.
Stir
cream
mixture
over
medium
heat
just
until
sugar
dissolves.
Remove
from
heat,
and
remove
vanilla
bean
pod.
Add
vanilla
extract
and
gelatin
and
stir
well
to
blend.
Add
ice
wine
and
stir
well
to
blend.
Divide
mixture
into
desired
vessels
such
as
Chinese
tasting
spoons,
or
wineglasses.
Garnish
with
fresh
berries
or
preserves.
- 1
C
White
Sugar
1⁄2
C
Butter
at
room
temperature
2
large
Eggs
2
Tsp
Vanilla
Extract
1
1⁄2
C
Cake
Flour
1
3⁄4
Tsp
Baking
Powder
1⁄2
C
Skim
Milk
1⁄2
C
Pumpkin
Puree
1/8
Tsp
grated
Nutmeg
1/8
Tsp
ground
Clove
1⁄4
Tsp
ground
Allspice
1
Tbsp
Brown
Sugar
Icing
Sugar
for
dustingPreheat
oven
to
325
degrees
Fahrenheit.
Grease
and
flour
a
10”
round
cake
tin.
Cream
butter
and
sugar
in
a
clean
dry
mixer.
Add
eggs,
one
at
a
time,
until
well
combined
each
time.
Add
vanilla
extract
and
combine
well.
Add
flour
in
3
equal
batches
making
sure
to
combine
smoothly
each
time.
Add
milk
and
combine
until
smooth.
Remove
1⁄2
C
of
white
cake
batter,
place
in
a
separate
bowl
and
mix
remaining
ingredients
together
until
smooth.
Place
1⁄2
the
amount
of
white
batter
in
cake
tin,
followed
by
pumpkin
mixture
and
finishing
with
the
remainder
of
the
white
cake
batter
into
the
same
tin.
Run
the
pointy
end
of
a
chopstick
randomly
through
the
mixed
batters
until
you
see
a
swirl
pattern
–
don’t
over
do
it.
Gently
jiggle
the
pan
on
a
counter
to
evenly
level
the
cake
batter.
Place
the
tin
on
a
tray
and
bake
for
40
minutes
or
until
a
toothpick
inserted
into
the
center
of
the
cake
comes
out
clean.
Allow
cake
to
cool
on
a
cooling
rack
before
removing
cake
from
tin.
When
cake
is
fully
cooled,
dust
cake
with
icing
sugar
using
a
fine
sieve.
