Almond Cookies Pastelitos De Almendra Recipes

ALMOND SHORTBREAD COOKIES (MANTECADITOS)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour and nutmeg in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter, shortening, sugar and extracts in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in flour mixture until well mixed. Dough should be slightly moist. If dough looks dry, sprinkle with water and work into dough. If dough is sticky, sprinkle with additional flour.
• 2. Spoon dough by teaspoons and shape into balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Gently flatten each ball with palm of hand. Press a cherry piece in the center of each cookie.
• 3. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

ALMOND COOKIES III

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and almond extract until smooth. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Drop cookies by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets, and press down slightly with the bottom of a glass. Place a whole almond on top of each cookie.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm. Remove cookies from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

ITALIAN ALMOND COOKIES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the almond paste, flour, egg whites, white sugar and confectioners' sugar until well blended. The mixture will be very sticky. Place the sliced almonds into a small bowl. Scoop out rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough and drop them into the almonds. Roll until completely coated. Place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

TARTA DE ALMENDRAS (ALMOND TART)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Lightly butter a 10-inch pie plate.
• In a blender, blend the sugar and lemon zest until they are well mixed. Add the almonds, and blend again until the almonds are ground fine.
• Add the eggs, egg yolks, and butter, and blend until all the contents are well mixed.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
• Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape the batter into the pan, and smooth the top.
• Bake the tart on the center rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean but the tart is still moist. Let it cool on a wire rack.
• Spoon Basque Cream onto each plate, and set a tart wedge on top. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

ALMOND SPONGE CAKE - (SPAIN-BIZCOCHO DE ALMENDRAS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Grind almonds in electric blender or pound in mortar to fine paste. Beat three whole eggs and three yolks with sugar and salt until thick and light yellow.
• Fold in three egg whites beaten to stiff peak. Gradually sift in flour mixed with ground almonds.
• Fold no more than necessary to make an evenly blended mixture. Pour into 9-inch loaf pan either lined with wax paper or lightly buttered and sprinkled with flour.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes in 375F oven or until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.
• Invert cake over rack or wax paper sprinkled with powdered sugar.
• If you have used wax paper, cake will come out instantly; wait until it cools to remove the paper on which it baked. If you have not used wax paper, leave cake inverted in pan until cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.
• Makes one 9-inch loaf cake.

ALBONDIGAS CON PICADA DE ALMENDRA (MEATBALLS IN AN ALMOND SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the pork, veal, garlic, breadcrumbs, spices, egg and season with salt and pepper. Mix by hand until the mixture is smooth and leaves the side of the bowl. Refrigerate covered for one hour.
• When ready to cook, roll tablespoons of the mixture into small 1-inch balls.
• Heat one tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and brown half the meatballs on medium-high heat (3 minutes). Drain on paper towels.
• Add the remaining oil, if necessary, and brown the other half of the meat balls. Drain on paper towels. Set aside the meatballs while making the sauce.
• Lower the heat and add onion. Cook until golden and caramelized. Add tomato and cook for one minute. Stir in the wine, broth and add the bay leaf. Add the meatballs back to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile combine parsley, garlic, 1/8 tsp salt, saffron, almonds and paprika in a blender or mini-food processor. Pulverize into a paste. Add this mixture, along with the peas, to the meatballs and cook for 15 more minutes.

PANQUE DE ALMENDRA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Butter and flour an 8 x 5-inch loaf pan or an 8-inch Bundt cake pan. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture is thick and lemon-colored and falls from the beaters in a ribbon. Stir in the ground almonds.
• Sift the starch and salt together. Beat into the almond mixture alternately with the milk, in three additions.
• In a deep bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks; fold into the almond batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

ALMOND COOKIES - PASTELITOS DE ALMENDRA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• In medium mixing bowl, mix almonds, sugar, egg whites, and almond extract until well blended.
• Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto lightly greased or nonstick cookie sheet, about 1-inch apart.
• Bake in oven for about 25 minutes, or until crisp on the outside, soft on the inside.
• Serve as a sweet snack.