Almond Cookies With Praline Chocolate Filling Recipes

CHOCOLATE ALMOND SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• For the sandwich cookies: In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut sugar and butter. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the cocoa powder, baking soda, almond extract, salt and eggs and mix to combine. Fold in the oats and mini chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Scoop 15 heaping tablespoon-size rounds of dough 1 inch apart on each prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies are just set around the edges and still soft in the middle, 10 to 11 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, cocoa powder and salt. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling on the flat side of half of the cooled cookies. Sandwich the remaining half of the cookies, flat side against the filling. Store in the refrigerator and remove 30 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND PRALINE COOKIES

Steps:

• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet on upper rack, tossing halfway through, until slightly darkened in color and fragrant, 6-8 minutes. Let cool.
• Gather almonds into a tight pile on a nonstick silicone baking mat or a rimmed baking sheet coated with nonstick spray. Cook granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, undisturbed, until it begins to liquefy and turn golden brown around the edges. Use a heatproof rubber spatula to incorporate melted sugar into unmelted sugar and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all sugar is melted and caramel turns a medium amber color, 6-8 minutes. Carefully pour caramel over almonds and let cool.
• Break almond mixture into large pieces and transfer to a food processor. Process, scraping down sides occasionally, until praline paste is very smooth and creamy (it should be as smooth as peanut butter with a slightly oily sheen; this takes time, so be patient), 12-16 minutes.
• Cook butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it foams, then browns, about 5 minutes. Let cool until just warm.
• Whisk flour, kosher salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat brown butter, praline paste, and brown sugar in a large bowl until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat just to combine. Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until mostly combined. Using a wooden spoon, mix in chocolate. Scrape out dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and roll up into a 1 3/4"-diameter log. Chill until very firm, at least 2 hours.
• Reheat oven to 350°F. Slice dough into generous 1/4"-thick slices with a serrated knife and place on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1" apart. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake until cookies are firm around the edges and slightly darker, 9-10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.
• Do Ahead
• Praline paste can be made 1 week ahead; store airtight at room temperature. Dough can be made 3 days ahead; wrap in plastic and keep chilled, or freeze up to 1 month.

KATHLEEN KING'S DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and mix together. Add the flour mixture and continue mixing until just combined.
• Add the chocolates and almonds and mix until combined. Using two tablespoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop the dough two inches apart on sheet pans lined with parchment. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets. The cookies should be very soft when they are removed from the oven. They will firm up as they cool.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED ALMOND PRALINES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet until fragrant, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue to cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 235 degrees, about 3 minutes.
• Add toasted nuts. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar begins to crystallize, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Continue to cook, stirring, until sugar forms a thin, sandlike coating on nuts, 2 to 3 minutes more. Pour mixture out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool for 30 minutes.
• Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring constantly.
• Working in batches, sift nuts in a colander to remove excess sugar, and transfer nuts to a large bowl. Add chocolate, stirring to coat nuts completely. Pour mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and separate clusters into individual nuts using a fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Toss pralines with cocoa in a large bowl, tapping off excess. Fill 75 mini baking cups with 4 pralines each.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto an ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7-9 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.

CHOCOLATE CAKE ROLL WITH PRALINE FILLING

Steps:

• Line a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside., In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture becomes thick and lemon-colored. , Beat in the chocolate, water and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; fold into chocolate mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan., Bake at 375° for 10-13 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes., Invert cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack., Meanwhile, in a small heavy skillet, cook almonds over medium heat until almost toasted, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until sugar is melted and golden brown. Spread on foil to cool. Crush finely. In a large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form; fold in crushed praline pieces., Unroll cake; spread filling evenly over cake to within 1/2 of edges. Roll up again. Place seam side down on a serving platter., For frosting, melt butter and chocolate in a microwave; stir until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture; beat until smooth. Spread over cake roll.

CHOCOLATE PRALINE COOKIES

Steps:

• Set oven to 375°F.
• Cream butter and brown sugar together with an electric hand mixer, or if you would rather do it by hand, a heavy spatula will work.
• Add the baking powder and egg until the mixture looks smooth and creamy.
• Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Slowly beat the flour into the mixture, a quarter cup at a time until you use all the flour.
• Add your pecans or walnuts. (I have used both together, and apart, either way they taste wonderful! In fact I have even altered this recipe and used ground almonds).
• If you think the dough is too warm you may want to put it in the freezer. When I bake in the winter I often will put all my cookie doughs in the freezer for fifteen minutes before working with them. If the dough is too warm, it will spread while baking and you will get pancakes rather then cookies :).
• Take the dough from the freezer and drop it by the teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet approx 2 inches apart.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookie looks golden, when you lift the cookies they should have an even color on the bottom.
• Cool the cookies on a wire rack until they are cool to touch.
• While the cookies cool gather your semisweet chips and vegetable shortening in a small sandwich baggie. If you want you can use a chocolate melting double boiler. Personally I like to do things the quick and easy way, so take your baggie of chocolate and shortening and seal it closed, then put it in a bowl of warm water. Wait approximately five minutes and the chocolate should have melted. If not repeat with warmer water. Use your finger to make sure the chocolate and shortening have mixed.
• Using a scissors snip the corner of the sandwich baggie and drizzle the chocolate over the cooled cookies. For small drizzles make only a slight cut in the corner of the bag, for larger chocolate lines, make a larger cut. I usually make designs on the cookies with the chocolate. Simple criss cross lines look elegant and sophisticated.
• These cookies are one of my favorites, and I often bring them to parties or special occasions because of their beautiful appearance and interesting flavor.
• **To Toast Nuts**.
• Set oven to 350°F.
• Place nuts on baking sheet in a single layer.
• Bake for approximately 5-8 minutes checking frequently, and stirring them about on the sheet. They should become a golden bronze color, depending on the nut. The toasting of nuts will allow for a richer flavor usually.

PRALINE NAPOLEONS WITH ALMOND CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out twelve 4 1/2-by-2 3/4 inch rectangles; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and prick with a fork. Brush with egg, and cover with parchment. Top with a baking sheet. Chill in freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.
• With top sheet still in place, bake until pastry is crisp and golden, 30 to 32 minutes. Remove top sheet and parchment. Let pastry cool completely on bottom parchment on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat. Stir together sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until sugar begins to melt and turn light amber, about 3 minutes. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed to prevent crystals from forming. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture turns dark amber, about 8 minutes.
• Remove from heat; stir in almonds. Pour mixture onto prepared sheet. Using an oiled offset spatula, spread to 1/8 inch thick. Let cool completely. Transfer half of the praline to a plastic bag; using a rolling pin, gently crush into very small pieces; set aside. Break remaining praline into large pieces using your hands.
• Transfer the almond cream filling to a pastry bag fitted with a petal tip (such as Wilton #127). Pipe filling onto 6 pastry rectangles; sprinkle each with crushed praline. Layer with another pastry rectangle and filling. Top each with a piece of praline.

CHOCOLATE FILLED ALMOND SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• On a baking sheet roast almonds until lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes, toss every 2-3 minutes Allow to cool to room temperature.
• FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD---------------------.
• Grind almonds and sugar in a food processor until very fine.
• Cut butter into 16 chunks, with the processor add butter a chunk at a time.
• Process until creamy.
• Scrape down bowl.
• Add egg and extract, process until mixed, scrape down bowl.
• Add flour and salt, pulse until just combined.
• Scrape into a bowl.
• ELECTRIC MIXER METHOD--------------------------°- .
• Whisk flour and salt in a medium bowl.
• Cut butter in to 16 pcs, Allow butter and eggs to come to room temperature.
• Grind almonds to a fine powder (can be done with a rolling pin and a plastic bag).
• In a second medium bowl cream butter, sugar until very light and fluffy.
• Add almonds, beat until well combined.
• Lightly beat egg and extracts, add to butter mixture, beat until just combined.
• Stir in flour and salt until just combined.
• BOTH METHODS---------------------.
• With a cookie press or pastry bag fitted with a no 22 tip, put cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Decorate with colored sugar, etc.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Refrigerate Cookies on the sheet for 20 minutes, this will help them hold their shape.
• Bake cookies one pan at a time for 8-10 minutes (until very lightly browned), rotate pan halfway through the baking to promote even cooking.
• Allow to sit on sheet for 3-4 minutes, remove with an angled spatula to a rack.
• Cool completely.
• FILLING----------------------.
• Melt 3/4 of the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water (160 degrees or so) (bowl must not touch water).
• When chocolate starts to melt remove from heat and stir until smooth, add remaining chocolate and stir until smooth.
• Let the chocolate sit until it's no longer warm to the touch and SLOWLY beat in the butter.
• Do not over beat this mixture.
• Place the mixture in a freezer bag (corner cut off) or pastry bag and pipe it on to the bottom of 1/2 of the cookies.
• Cover with second half to form a sandwich.
• Do about 10 at a time as the chocolate mixture will start to set up.
• Let cookies set for 2 hours for filling to set 100%.
• Store covered in an airtight container for about a month.

ALMOND COOKIES WITH PRALINE CHOCOLATE FILLING

Steps:

• Cookies: Beat together the butter, salt, sugars, flavorings, egg, and yolk. Add the flour(s) and mix until well combined. Cover and chill for 30 minutes, or until the dough is easy to handle. Press 1 teaspoonful of dough into the bottom and up the sides each mold. Place the filled molds on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 7 to 9 minutes. The cookies will be very lightly browned around the edges. Cool slightly, then tap the molds firmly to remove the cookies. Cool the cookies completely on a rack; they'll become crisp. Filling: Melt the praline paste and chocolate together in a double boiler or in a microwave on low power. Spread the flat side of half the cookies with 1/2 teaspoon of filling. Sandwich pairs of cookies, pressing the halves together gently. Allow to stand until the filling is set, several hours at (cool) room temperature or 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator.