Shell Cookies
Ingredients: dough: wine - 11 tablespoons sugar - 11 tablespoons oil - 11 tablespoons flour - 11 tablespoons salt - 1/2 teaspoon fillings: white chocolate dark chocolate wine, gelatin dried fruits, hazelnuts rum essence vanilla bean etc.
To see and not believe: don't be too shocked - I've made a little cake again! This wine dough delights me, it's so easy to make that I can indulge in all sorts of nonsense. For your sake, I've measured all the ingredients in tablespoons to tempt you to try it. So, I propose the following ingredients: 11 tablespoons of wine, 11 tablespoons of sugar, 11 tablespoons of oil, 11 tablespoons of flour (plus extra flour for kneading). For these little cakes, I decided to split the flour used in the dough: one part hazelnut flour to two parts white flour. Thus, instead of cornmeal, I used finely ground hazelnuts, which adds extra flavor and a special texture. The resulting dough is not only tasty but also extremely easy to handle - perfect for those who, like me, prefer quick and delicious dishes. You can find the detailed method for this dough in the previous recipe, so I won't repeat all the steps now. This dough is shaped into a roll, then divided into slices the size of the molds you will use. The slices are flattened and ready to be placed in molds and baked. This time, I chose madeleine molds, a choice made out of laziness to wash many dishes - I used two molds stacked on top of each other, and the shells are ready in a few moments. The filling is varied and delicious: I combined white and dark chocolate, gelatin dissolved in the aromatic wine left after draining the rehydrated fruits, and, of course, the suitable fruits for each filling. I used raisins, apricots, dates, bananas, and hazelnuts to create an explosion of flavors and textures. The closed shells look the best - I made a row of cakes this way, but the filling is not visible. So I decided to photograph both the open and displayed ones, although they are not as attractive as the closed ones, carefully arranged in the 'sand' made from nuts, hazelnuts, and crushed dough. Besides wine, which you can replace with fruit juices or other non-alcoholic beverages, you can make these shells for St. Nicholas, perfectly adapted for the fasting period if you respect the tradition. These little cakes are not only a visual delight but also an explosion of aromas, making them ideal for any occasion.
