Amandines au Chocolat a l'Ancienne

These Old-fashioned Chocolate and Almond Cookies are an absolute delight! They are simple yet sophisticated, and incredibly easy to prepare. The entire recipe is made in the food processor, and bakes in only 12 minutes. The cookies are addictively chewy and packed with flavor. They are almost macaroon-like. I guarantee that once you try them, you will be hooked!

This is also a great recipe to use for Passover, as it contains no flour or butter. It is parve by nature and does not force you to have to use matzah meal!

This recipe is a variation of a recipe in the book Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan. I have made some slight changes in ingredients (I add salt and vanilla) and cooking time and temperature. I also make my cookies a bit larger.

Amandines au Chocolat a l'Ancienne
Makes about 18 cookies

• 81/2 ounces blanched almonds or almond flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (I use Valrhona)
• 1/2 leftover, dried vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel
• 3 large egg whites

Position oven racks to center and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

In the bowl of a food processor, place almonds or almond flour, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla pod (if using, don't add vanilla extract here), and salt. Turn machine on and process until the almonds are ground and everything is evenly blended. Be sure that there are no large pieces of almond hiding in the mix. With the motor running, add the egg whites (and the vanilla extract if you are using it) all at once. Continue processing until just combined. Be careful not to over process as we do not want to incorporate too much air into the batter. Turn machine off and finish blending with a rubber spatula, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Transfer batter to a clean bowl.

Using a 1 1/4 inch portion scooper, scoop 9 cookies, evenly spaced, per prepared baking sheet. Bake cookies in preheated oven for exactly 12 minutes. I recommend baking only one sheet at a time to guarantee consistent results. After 12 minutes, remove cookies from oven and carefully slide parchment paper or silpat with the cookies onto a cool counter top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, and then carefully remove cookies from the paper or silpat and place on a rack to cool completely. Repeat with second pan. After cookies cool completely, they may be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I doubt that they will be around that long!

BTKW Tips: Using Leftover Vanilla Pods

After you have scraped the seeds from a fresh vanilla pod, don't through it away! There is still a lot of fresh vanilla flavor left in the pod that can be used in your recipes. Fresh vanilla is expensive, it only makes sense to try to use the whole thing.

There a couple of things that I like to do with leftover pods. The first is to make vanilla-scented sugar. To do this, simply place the leftover pods into a container with granulated sugar. Stick the pods down into the sugar, and in 24 hours you will have sugar that is enticingly perfumed with the essence of vanilla. You can use this sugar in your baking, or just in your morning coffee.

Another thing that I like to do is make my own vanilla extract. To do this, simple take a 750 ml. bottle of vodka and drop 6 to 8 leftover vanilla pods into it. Let it sit for 1 month, and you will have your own vanilla extract. Obviously, the more pods you use the stronger the vanilla flavor will be. I also like to do this with kirsch (cherry brandy). This will give you a cherry-vanilla that is great in Alsatian or Central European desserts.

Chestnuts in the Spring

While doing a bit of Spring cleaning in my pantry, I came across a bag of fresh chestnuts that were left over from the Holiday Season. (OK, not so fresh, but still good!) The last thing that I think about as Spring approaches is chestnut anything! Sadly, in the U.S. we have been conditioned to think of chestnuts as purely Christmas-time fare. Once the holidays are over and chestnuts are no longer roasting over an open fire, we don't even consider eating them. It's too bad because chestnuts are not only delicious, but they are also extremely good for you! Nutritionally, they are comparable to brown rice and are extremely low in fat. Chestnuts are also packed with vitamin C (Source). A perfect gift from nature that is ignored for 10 months of the year!

Finding the chestnuts got me thinking about food supplies at this time of the year. Winter is ending and Spring is just beginning (in the Northern Hemisphere, of course). In the past, our ancestors would still be surviving off of their Winter food stores. Chestnuts would surely be in their pantry, as the dried "nut" keeps indefinitely. Meals would include many preparations made from the chestnut, be they roasted, boiled, pureed, turned into breads, or made into desserts. In parts of Europe and Asia, the chestnut was the starch of choice before the introduction of the potato, or in areas where cereal grains would not grow (Ibid).

So why don't we eat them? Why have they become a ceremonial object, like cranberry sauce? I can only think that it is because people don't know what to do with them. Also, I believe that people fear them because "nuts" are viewed as fattening ingredients used in desserts or as quick snacks. As stated above, chestnuts are not fattening, and they are anything but "quick"! They need some work to become palatable. So that leaves just not knowing what to do with them. Not knowing is not an excuse to miss out on something this good, so below I give a procedure for processing fresh (or not so fresh) chestnuts and a recipe that is fitting for this transitional time between Winter and Spring.


To Peel Fresh Chestnuts

The following is the procedure that I use to peel fresh chestnuts. There are other ways to do it, but this method works well. Also, keep in mind that older chestnuts are easier to peel as the "nut" has begun to shrink away from the skin due to moisture loss.

• Soak chestnuts in warm water for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Drain the chestnuts and pat dry.
• Using a small knife, make a shallow slit in the rounded side of the chestnut. Do not cut too deeply as you do not want to gouge the "nut" itself.
• Place chestnuts on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, place in a bowl, cover with a moist towel, and allow to steam/cool for 5 minutes.
• Remove chestnuts from their shells. Be sure to remove all of the brown inner skin, it is tannic and bitter.
• Chestnuts are now ready for further cooking.

At this point, I like to gently simmer my chestnuts (in a covered pot), in flavorful stock or water for savory preparations, or in a sugar syrup for sweet preparations for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Older, drier chestnuts will naturally take longer to cook. They are done when tender. Keep checking them and be careful not to overcook them unless you plan on pureeing them, as they will fall apart. At this point you can use them, or freeze them using the IQF procedure.

Sauteed Asparagus with Veal Glazed Chestnuts

Serves 4 to 6

• 2 bunches thin, young, green asparagus spears
• 1 cup cooked chestnuts**, halved
• 1/4 cup chicken or brown veal stock
• 3 tablespoons veal glaze (glace de veau)
• 4 tablespoons finest quality unsalted butter
• fleur de sel and pepper to taste

Wash and drain asparagus spears. Cut bunches in half. Retain top half, discard bottom half or save it for an asparagus soup. Set tops aside.

Place chestnut halves, stock, and veal glaze in a small pot. Cook over medium heat until liquid evaporates and chestnuts begin to look glazed. Season lightly with fleur de sel and pepper. Keep warm.

Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter to the pan, be careful not to burn. Once melted and hot, add the asparagus tops. Season with fleur de sel and pepper. Saute the asparagus until it begins to brown lightly.

To finish, rewarm the chestnuts over low heat. Add the final tablespoon of butter and mix gently until butter is incorporated. Arrange asparagus on a serving dish and spoon chestnuts and glaze over. Serve immediately while hot.

** If you don't have any fresh chestnuts left from the holidays, you can still make this recipe using store-bought, vacuum-packed, whole chestnuts. They are just as good, but a little pricey!