Bittersweet Chocolate Almond Cake With Amaretti Cookie Crumbs Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven, and preheat to 350. Butter an 8-inch cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper and dust the interior with cocoa powder; tap out the excess.
• To make the cake: Put the almonds, amaretti, sugar, cocoa and salt into a food processor, and process in short spurts, until the almonds and cookies are finely ground. Add the butter and eggs, and process, scraping the bowl occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is homogeneous. Add the melted chocolate a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. Scrape the bowl, and then pour the batter into the pan. Standing back (to avoid being showered by cocoa powder), rap the pan against the counter a few times, to break the largest bubbles in the batter.
• Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out streaky; the top of the cake will look dry and perhaps cracked. If the top has erupted in a couple of places - it happens - use a spatula to press down the bumps as best as you can. Let the cake rest on a rack for 15 minutes.
• Run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto the rack, peel off the paper and turn right side up; cool to room temperature.
• When you're ready to glaze the cake, place the rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil - the drip-catcher.
• To make the glaze: Put the chocolate in a heatproof measuring cup with a spout or in a bowl. Bring the cream, sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan (or do this in the microwave). Pour the cream over the chocolate, and stir gently until you have a smooth glaze.
• Pour the glaze over the cake, and use an offset spatula or knife to spread it over the top. Sprinkle over the crushed amaretti. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set the glaze (which will always be soft). Serve the cake slightly chilled or at room temperature (my preference).

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
• Whisk the almond flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl to combine. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute 30 seconds. Add the almond extract and beat to combine. Fold the egg whites into the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
• Put the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, portion the dough and roll into balls. Toss each ball in the confectioners' sugar, coating thoroughly. Arrange the balls 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until golden brown and the tops crack, 23 to 25 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• To make the cake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil, stirring, over high heat. Meanwhile, combine the chocolates and the butter in a medium bowl. When the sugar mixture boils, pour it over the chocolates and stir until blended. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the 11/2 tablespoons sugar and the eggs. Using a mixer set at high speed, whip the eggs and sugar until the mixture falls back onto itself in a slowly dissolving ribbon-like pattern when the beater is lifted. Add 1/3 of the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and fold in with a spatula to lighten. Fold in the remaining egg mixture.
• Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Spray 6 (6-ounce) ramekins or 6 (2 by 3-inch) loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and place them in a roasting pan just large enough to hold them. Divide the batter among the ramekins, place the roasting pan in the oven, and add enough water to the pan to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out with just a few crumbs sticking to it, about 30 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate and cream and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Bring cream and almonds to a boil and store refrigerated for 24 hours. Strain, add vanilla and whip.
• PLATING: Dust plates with cocoa. Invert the ramekins onto the plates and add a scoop of the almond cream to each. Drizzle the chocolate over the cake and cream, sprinkle with chocolate curls, if using, and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool mixture to lukewarm.
• Finely grind 1/2 cup almonds, flour and salt in processor. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl until thick, about 2 minutes. Fold in almond mixture, then chocolate mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (center will fall). Press edges down with fork to level top. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Cut around cake; remove pan sides. Beat cream in large bowl to firm peaks. Mound cream atop cake; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup almonds.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Spray three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Combine cake mix, 1 1/3 cups water, eggs, oil, 3 tablespoons amaretto, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract in large bowl; whisk until well blended.
• Toss 1 cup of chocolate chips in with 1 tablespoon flour, then gently fold into batter.
• Divide batter among prepared pans. (the layers will be thin).
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes.
• Run knife around pan sides. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely. Brush each cake layer with 2 tablespoons amaretto.
• Combine butter and cream in medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until butter melts and mixture comes to simmer.
• Remove from heat. Add remaining 2 cups chocolate chips and whisk until melted.
• Mix in remaining 3 tablespoons amaretto. Cool until barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk in sour cream and remaining 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, then powdered sugar.
• Refrigerate frosting just until thick enough to spread, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1/3 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 1/3 cup frosting over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. (concentrate most of the frosting on the top of the cake)
• Press nuts around the sides of the cake. Chill at leat 2 hours.
• (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome; keep chilled.).

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.

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the ring of a 9-inch springform pan (without its base) upside down on the prepared sheet. The ridge in the ring should be on top.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and salt on medium-low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape in the almond butter and mix for 2 more minutes. Add about one-third of the flour mixture and beat on medium-low until blended. Pour in the egg and mix on low until incorporated. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix on low until they disappear into the dough. Scrape the dough into the center of the springform ring.
• Use a flexible or offset spatula or your fingers to spread the dough as evenly as you can. You don't have to press it down aggressively, but you should try to get it relatively smooth. Scatter the chocolate over the surface and then scatter over the almonds.
• Bake the cookie for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and immediately - and carefully - open and lift off the springform. Let the cookie cool to room temperature, then dot the surface with caramel sparingly or generously; if you'd like, you can drizzle the caramel. Sprinkle the top lightly with fleur de sel. Cut the cookie into 10 to 12 wedges, or go rogue and cut it into other shapes. Wrapped, the cookie will keep for about 4 days at room temperature.