Almond and Chocolate Biscuits

 Ingredients: - 180 g almonds (you can use almonds with or without skin - I used 80 g whole almonds with skin, which I peeled and chopped, and 100 g pre-sliced peeled almonds) - 3 large eggs - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - 260 g all-purpose flour, freshly sifted - 150 g granulated sugar - 5 g baking powder - a pinch of salt - 100 g high-quality semi-sweet chocolate

Put water in a pot to boil. When the water reaches boiling temperature, turn off the heat. At this moment, add the almonds and let them sit in the hot water for 2-3 minutes. After the time has passed, strain the almond and water mixture, leaving the almonds in the sieve for 1-2 minutes to cool slightly. Once cooled, carefully peel them. The wet peeled almonds are placed on an absorbent towel for a few minutes, and finally, excess water is wiped off with another towel. These roasted almonds are then placed on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and left for a few minutes in the oven on low heat, turning them on all sides to roast evenly.

After the almonds have completely cooled, they are cut into small pieces, preparing them to be added to the dough. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: freshly sifted flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt, ensuring they are well combined. Then, add the peeled and chopped almonds, gently mixing to distribute them evenly in the mixture.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the vanilla essence, continuing to mix to obtain a homogeneous mixture. These liquid ingredients will then be incorporated into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a mixer with spiral paddles, mix until a sticky and soft dough is obtained. If you prefer, the dough can be lightly mixed with a spatula and then by hand to give it a more pleasant texture.

The obtained dough is placed on a lightly floured work surface. It is divided into two equal parts, and each part is shaped into a roll, approximately 18 cm long and 8-10 cm high. If desired, you can shape a single roll and then divide it into two. A large tray is lined with parchment paper, and the two rolls of dough are placed in the tray. Each roll is slightly flattened with the palm, so that the cookies acquire a slightly curved shape on the surface.

They are baked in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes to obtain very crunchy cookies. If you prefer a softer consistency, the baking time can be reduced, taking the cookies out of the oven when the surface of the dough is firm to the touch. Once the dough rolls are ready, they are removed from the oven and allowed to cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes. After cooling, the cookies are cut into thin slices of about 1 cm using a very sharp knife. The cookies can be cut either straight or slightly diagonally, depending on preference.

The slices of cookies are placed back in the tray and left in the oven for a few minutes on one side, then a few minutes on the other side, depending on how crunchy you want them. Personally, I left the cookies for 2 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other side. After baking, the cookies are allowed to cool on a rack. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, and one of the side ends of the cookies is dipped in the melted chocolate. The cookies can be kept in the cold for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to solidify. Finally, the cookies are stored in well-sealed metal boxes, ensuring they remain crunchy and delicious for a long time.

 Tags:  eggs flour sugar chocolate christmas and new year's recipes vegetarian recipes biscuits recipes for children