Chocolate Amaretti Custard With Fresh Fruit Recipes

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Adjust oven racks in the upper-third and lower-third positions. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Break the almond paste into small pieces and add it to the bowl of a food processer along with the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Process until the almond paste is very finely chopped and well incorporated with the salt and sugar. Add the egg whites and vanilla, and process until a smooth dough forms, about 30 seconds. With a small scoop or spoon, dollop the batter onto the baking sheets, 1 tablespoon at a time, spaced 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with a few almond slivers and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Bake until the cookies have risen and cracked slightly but are still soft in the center, 13 to 14 minutes; rotate the baking sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI

Steps:

• Crumble almond paste into a food processor; add sugar and pulse until evenly combined. Add egg whites and process until incorporated. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Sift together confectioners' sugar and cocoa; gradually add to almond mixture and mix well., Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350° until tops are cracked, 17-20 minutes. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE-AMARETTI CUSTARD WITH FRESH FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour caramel into 5-cup ring mold. Using pastry brush, quickly brush caramel up sides of mold. Cool.
• Whisk 1 cup milk and cocoa in large bowl until cocoa dissolves. Whisk in remaining 2 cups milk, 2/3 cup sugar, rum, egg yolks and eggs. Stir in amaretti cookies. Pour custard into caramel-lined mold.
• Place mold in large roasting pan. Add enough warm water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of mold. Cover pan and ring mold with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crust forms on top of custard and center 1 inch still moves when mold is gently shaken, about 35 minutes (do not overbake or custard will curdle). Transfer mold to rack and cool completely. Cover and chill overnight.
• Using small sharp knife, cut oranges between membranes to release segments. Run knife around sides of mold. Place plate atop mold. Invert custard onto plate, shaking gently to loosen and letting caramel run over custard. Remove mold. Arrange fruit in center of custard.

CHOCOLATE-AMARETTI PARFAITS

Steps:

• Melt 1 1/2 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in the microwave; let cool. Mix with 1 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese and 1/3 cup sugar. Layer in glasses with raspberries and crumbled amaretti cookies.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI PEACHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Combine crushed Amaretti cookies, chocolate, orange zest, honey & cinnamon in a bowl. Add the beaten egg white & mix to bind the mixture.
• Halve & pit the peaches & fill the cavities w/sml mounds of the chocolate mixture.
• Arrange the stuffed peaches in a lightly buttered, shallow ovenproof dish which will just hold the peaches comfortably.
• Mix the wine & sugar in a measuring cup & stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour the wine mixture around the peaches.
• Bake for 30-40 min till the peaches are tender when tested w/a skewer & the filling is golden. Serve immediately w/a little of the cooking juices spooned over the top & whipped cream in a separate bowl as an optional garnish.

AMARETTO CUSTARD

Steps:

• Warm Half& Half.
• Place sugar, egg yolks, salt, Amaretto, vanilla flavor, almond flavor, and almond paste in another bowl, mix well.
• Mix the Half& Half with egg yolk mixture.
• Pour mixture through a sieve.
• Pour mixture into well-buttered and sugared ceramic molds.
• Bake at 350 degrees in water bath for about 45 minutes or until set.
• Cool, unmold, and serve with fresh sliced fruit, fruit sauce, caramel sauce, or whipped cream.
• Yield: four servings.

ADULTS-ONLY AMARETTI CRUNCH DESSERT

Steps:

• Reserve 6 raspberries for garnish. Place remaining raspberries in a saucepan and add 2 tablespoons sugar, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until raspberries break down, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl to remove seeds and reserve raspberry sauce.
• Combine amaretto liqueur, heavy cream, and remaining sugar in a mixing bowl. Whip until soft peaks form. Add mascarpone cheese and blend thoroughly.
• Place 1 or 2 tablespoons crushed amaretti in the bottom of a serving glass. Add whipped mascarpone mixture and a layer of raspberry sauce. Repeat layers and top with 1 reserved raspberry and 1 whole amaretti cookie. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with waxed paper and butter the paper. Dust the inside of the pan with flour and tap out the excess.
• Melt the chocolates in the top of a double boiler over hot water or in a bowl in a microwave and set aside.
• Place the amaretti and almonds in a food processor and pulse several times, until the mixture is evenly ground. Turn out onto a sheet of waxed paper and reserve.
• Put the butter, sugar and eggs into the processor bowl and process until the mixture is satiny smooth and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. Stop to scrape the bowl occasionally.
• Add the amaretti and almond powder and the melted chocolate. Pulse until well combined. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven, on the center rack, for 25 to 30 minutes. The top will look dry and perhaps cracked; the center will be moist. Cool on a cake rack for 30 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the edge of the pan and turn out the torte. Peel off the wax paper, invert and cool on a rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar or cocoa.
• Slice thinly and serve at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and put on a full kettle. Have a large roasting tin ready. Butter 10 squares of foil, each about 15 x 15cm. Butter 10 x 200ml mini pudding tins, dust with flour, then tap out the excess. Cut 10 small circles of baking paper to fit the bottoms and drop one into each tin.
• Melt the butter and chocolate together in a pan, heating gently and stirring every so often. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, put the eggs and sugar into a large bowl and whisk with electric beaters for 10 mins, or until the mix is thick and foamy and holds a trail for a few seconds.
• Mix the ground almonds, flour and baking powder together. Splash 1 tbsp amaretto over the biscuits. Fold the cooled chocolate mix into the whisked egg and sugar using a large metal spoon. Follow with the flour mix, then work in the amaretto.
• Fill the tins one-third full, then drop in an amaretti biscuit and top up with mix, leaving a 1cm gap between the top of the mix and the edge of the tins. Loosely scrunch a foil square over the top of each tin. Put the tins in the roasting pan and pour hot water around - it should come about halfway up the sides of the puddings. Bake for 30 mins, then insert a skewer into one; a few damp crumbs should stick to the skewer - you don't want the puds to be totally dry.
• Meanwhile, make the fudgy sauce. Melt all of the ingredients together in a heavy-based pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days,then reheat on the hob or in the microwave on High for 1 min. To serve the puddings, turn onto plates and spoon over some of the sauce, allowing it to ooze over the edges. Sprinkle with shards of Salted almond brittle and serve straight away.