Raspberry Almonettes Recipes

RASPBERRY ALMONETTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in oil and extract. In another bowl, whisk flour, salt and baking powder; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Shape dough into 1-in. balls; press one side into chopped almonds. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets, almond side up. Flatten to 1/4-in. thickness with bottom of a glass., Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on pans 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely., For filling, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and extract until smooth. Place rounded teaspoonfuls of filling on bottoms of half of the cookies. Make an indentation in center of each; fill with 1/4 teaspoon preserves. Cover with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

RASPBERRY-ALMOND BLONDIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing 2 inches to hang over sides. Butter lining (excluding overhang); set pan aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside.
• Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture, and beat on low speed, scraping down sides of bowl, until well incorporated. Mix 3/4 cup almonds into batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pan; spread with a rubber spatula. Scatter berries and remaining 1/4 cup nuts over batter in pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into blondies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, 55 to 60 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar before cutting into squares.

RASPBERRY MACARONS

Steps:

• Pulse confectioners' sugar and flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low; add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high; whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites; fold until smooth and shiny. Fold in puree and food coloring.
• Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip; pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging tip to sides rather than forming peaks. Tap sheets on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
• Let cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. (If sticking, spray water between parchment and hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)
• Sandwich 2 macarons with 1 teaspoon jam.

RASPBERRY-RICOTTA CAKE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
• Cream sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add ricotta cheese, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until thoroughly incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in 1/2 of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients.
• Measure out 1/4 cup raspberries and 2 tablespoons sliced almonds; set aside.
• Add remaining raspberries and almonds to the batter, along with white chocolate chips; gently fold to combine. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle reserved raspberries and almonds evenly over top, followed by turbinado sugar.
• Place the pan on top of a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 85 to 90 minutes. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then gently run a table knife around the edges to loosen, and remove sides. Let cool completely before serving.

RASPBERRY GALETTES

Steps:

• For cookies:
• Combine flour, sugar, aniseed and salt in bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter, yolk and vanilla and mix at low speed until coarse meal forms. Knead dough into smooth ball. Flatten to disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to scant 1/8-inch thickness. Using 3 1/2-inch fluted cutter, cut dough into rounds. Transfer rounds to heavy large cookie sheets, spacing evenly. Gather dough scraps. Repeat rolling and cutting until all dough is used, chilling dough briefly if soft. Brush cookies with beaten egg. Bake until light golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack to cool. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store cookies in airtight container.)
• For sauce:
• Puree raspberries and honey in blender. Strain. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• For filling:
• Beat crème fraîche and honey in chilled medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Transfer filling to pastry bag fitted with 3/8-inch (no. 3) star tip.
• Place 1 cookie on flat surface. Pipe filling in small stars over cookie. Place 1 layer of raspberries atop stars. Top with second cookie. Pipe filling in small stars over second cookie. Place layer of raspberries atop stars. Top with third cookie. Sift powdered sugar over. Place 1 raspberry in center. Repeat layering of cookies, filling and berries to make 3 more desserts. Spoon sauce onto plates. Transfer 1 galette to center of each plate. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.