Direction for the Almond Cookies

• Before you start →these cookies you can make these with any nuts you prefer; if you like your cookies to have more texture and crunch, process the almonds/nuts until it is a mix of finely ground or coarsely ground, as shown in an older video →scroll or grind the almonds until finely ground as shown in the step by step pictures.
   
• Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
   
• In a food processor process, the almonds ( I use raw almonds with skin) until the almond are finely ground or finely ground + in small chunks.
   
• In a large bowl with a spatula, combine 400-gram ground almonds, 165-gram sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, then add 185-gram white syrup, 3 large egg whites, and 1 teaspoon vanilla paste; use a spatula to combine all the ingredients into a very sticky cookie dough.
   
• If time permits, let rest in the fridge for 1 hour; otherwise, proceed.
   
• →Use a cookie/ice cream scoop; this is a very sticky "dough," and a cookie scoop makes shaping easier.
   
•  You want 1,5 tablespoons of dough per cookie, so I recommend a medium cookie/ice cream scoop; if you don't have a cookie scoop, use a spoon.
   
• Place each cookie at least 5 cm (2- inches) apart.
   
•  Just before baking, dust the tops with some powdered sugar, take the back of a teacup, and press just slightly down.
   
• Bake the cookies in the middle oven rack for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and slightly puffed; avoid over-baking, which dries them out.
   
• Baking Tip; To get perfectly round cookies, Take a cookie cutter that’s slightly wider than your cookies. Make sure you do this step immediately when they come out of the oven. Place the cookie cutter over the warm and freshly baked cookies and gently move it around in a circular motion, shaping the cookies as you move the cookie cutter, and watch how your cookie gets shaped into a perfect circle. 
   
• Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
   
• Carefully remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheet and set them on a clean baking sheet or cutting board. Match up the cookies by size so they match.
  
   

Direction for the Silky Chocolate Ganache

 

• Chop your dark chocolate as fine as possible, place the chocolate into a medium heat-proof bowl, add small pieces of butter on top, and set aside for now.
   
• In a medium saucepan, add the heavy cream, instant espresso powder, glucose syrup, and fine sea salt.
   
• Place the saucepan over medium heat, and heat the cream until very hot but not boiling ( bubbles will begin to form at the edges). Remove from heat.
   
• Quickly pour the mixture over the chopped chocolate and diced butter, then wait for 2 minutes.
   
• Then use a silicone spatula or whisk while stirring very slowly in the middle of the bowl until completely combined and the chocolate and butter have melted, and the ganache is smooth, silky, and shiny.
   
• Pour the hot ganache through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean small bowl. ( optional)
   
• Cool the ganache, then cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap; allow the ganache to sit at room temperature on your kitchen counter ( not in the fridge)
   
• Until the ganache is firm and reaches a thick-but-spreadable consistency.
   
• This takes about 1-3 hours, depending on how warm/cool it is in your kitchen and what quality and % chocolate you have used.
   
• Place the coffee ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a 1 m tip or another tip of your choice. See a 30-second video on Instagram reels →here.
   
• Pipe a small amount of ganache or make a small rose over the bottom (flat side) top with a matching-size cookie, flat-side down, and gently press together.
   
• Store filled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or serve immediately once assembled. 
   
• These cookies with the filling freeze well.

For step by step pictures of how to make the
 → Gooey Sarah Bernhardt Cookies
Click → here