Soy Almond Waffles

A nice Sunday brunch, these waffles are super light and fluffy. This is a nice twist on the traditional – the almond extract gives these a wonderful flavor. Plus it’s dairy free, substituting soy milk for the standard milk in waffle recipes.

Recipe based on the Basic Waffles recipe that came with the waffle maker. For an extra delicious touch, top with chopped almonds and fresh fruit.

Soy Almond Waffles

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups soy milk
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS
Place ingredients in large mixing bowl and combine until well blended and smooth. Let batter rest for 5 minutes before using. Preheat waffle iron.

Pour 1/3 cup batter onto the center of iron. Close cook until indicator light comes on. Remove waffle and repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately, or keep waffles warm in a 200 degree F oven. Serve with warm syrup and top with fresh fruit and more chopped almonds.

Almond Rocky Road Clusters

You should know something about me: when I get chocolate cravings, I bake. This is the result of one of those such cravings.

Almond Rocky Road Clusters

This recipe could be easily altered depending on your mood. Try tossing in different nuts, adding some peanut butter maybe, or even using vanilla or peppermint extract in place of almond. Makes approximately 2 dozen clusters.

INGREDIENTS
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup whole almonds
3/4 cup mini marshmallows
1 tsp. almond extract

DIRECTIONS
Melt chocolate over double boiler. Remove from heat. Stir in almond extract and almonds. Gently fold in marshmallows. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a waxed paper lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until set.

Blueberry Pie with Almond Crumble Topping

My aunt mentioned this this pie recipe from the July 2007 Bon Appetit was to die for, so how could I resist trying it? It was really my first attempt at actually making a pie crust (I was really close to just buying one premade), but it wasn’t that hard and turned out pretty darn good! If it wasn’t for the outrageous price of blueberries (I almost went into sticker shock and I was buying frozen ones!) this pie might just be perfect. I mean, almond crumble topping? That’d make ANY pie perfect.

Blueberry Pie with Almond Crumble Topping

Makes 1 9-inch pie. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
Crust
1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chilled lard or frozen nonhydrogenated solid vegetable shortening (aka Crisco), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2-3 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (or more) sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
7 cups fresh wild or regular blueberries (32 ounces) or 32 ounces frozen wild or regular blueberries (do not thaw)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Topping
2/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
4 ounces marzipan or almond paste, broken into 1/3-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup loosely packed)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
Whipped cream or ice cream

DIRECTIONS
For crust:
Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and lard; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add ice water and mix with fork until dough begins to clump together, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough together; flatten into disk. Wrap disk in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. If necessary, soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Roll out pie crust disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Turn crust edges under and crimp decoratively, forming crust edge 1/4 inch above sides of pie dish. Refrigerate while preparing filling and topping.

For filling:
Whisk 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch in heavy large saucepan to blend. Stir in blueberries and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles and thickens, frequently stirring gently, about 13 minutes. Chill filling until cool, about 1 hour. If more sweetness is desired, stir in sugar by tablespoonfuls.

For topping:
Combine first 4 ingredients in processor; blend until mixture begins to clump together. Transfer to bowl; chill 30 minutes. Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Spread blueberry filling evenly in unbaked crust. Sprinkle topping evenly over. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust and topping are golden and filling bubbles thickly, about 50 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Serve pie with whipped cream or ice cream.

Plum Almond Tart

Anything almond, I’m all for it. And this was a very nice, refreshing treat. I think I may have overcooked the filling a bit (or did something wrong while making it), but it was still good nonetheless. This would be good with any summer fruit, peaches, even pears. And did I mention almonds?

Plum Almond Tart

Makes 6 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
For crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons ice water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For filling
1/3 cup whole almonds (about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 teaspoons framboise (raspberry liqueur) or brandy
12 ounces ripe red-skinned plums, pitted, cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges

1/4 cup red currant jelly
Whipped cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Make crust:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix 2 tablespoons ice water and vanilla in small bowl. Pour water mixture over dough. Process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Roll out on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang in and press, forming double-thick sides. Using fork, pierce dough all over. Freeze 15 minutes.

Bake crust until pale golden, about 30 minutes (crust may shrink slightly). Cool on rack. Maintain oven temperature.

Make filling:
Finely grind almonds with sugar in processor. Add egg, butter and 2 teaspoons framboise. Process until batter forms. Pour filling into crust. Arrange plums atop filling. Bake until plums are tender and filling is golden and set, about 50 minutes.

Melt jelly with remaining 2 teaspoons framboise in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat. Brush jelly mixture over plums. Cool tart. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream, if desired.

Pomegranate Sorbet with Chocolate Dipped Almond Wafers

On to dessert, and oh what a wonderful dessert it was!

About a month ago, we attended a cooking class at the Viking Store nearby. A Christmas present from Taylor’s mom. This was the dessert that we were served during that class, and I instantly knew it’d be one I’d have to make at home. Valentine’s day gave us the perfect excuse to do just that.

The cookies are delicate and sweet with almond flavor. They look surprisingly like pringles potato chips before they are dipped in semi-sweet chocolate. I didn’t have a baguette pan like the recipe called for to form such a shape, but instead used a foil-covered rolling pin, which seemed to work just fine. Keep an eye on these cookies, as mine began to brown around the edges after only 7 minutes.

Chocolate Dipped Almond Wafers

Makes 12 cookies.
Recipe from Viking Cooking School.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1 large egg white
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325ËšF. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper; set aside.

Place the toasted almonds in the bowl of a mini-food processor; process until coarsely ground. Remove 1/2 of the almonds and set aside. Add the flour, sugar, and salt to the processor and pulse until the almonds are finely ground.

Pour the almond/flour mixture into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg white, melted butter, and almond extract; continue whisking until the batter is smooth.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of batter onto the silicone-lined baking sheet. Spread with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to form a circle that is approximately 3-inches in diameter. Place only four on the baking sheet, and space them well apart. Sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon of the reserved toasted almonds. Bake until the edges just start to brown and the centers are light golden in color, about 10-12 minutes (or 6-8, watch them carefully!).

Remove the pan from the oven. Let cool for approximately 30-60 seconds, then test the edge of one of the wafers to see if it will lift easily from the pan. When it does, working quickly, use a broad spatula to lift up each one and set it in the curve of a baguette pan. Let stand until completely cool and crisp. Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter.

When all the cookies are cool, dip one-half of each cookie into the melted chocolate. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets to set.

As far as the sorbet goes, it is good. Sweet, slightly tangy, and fruity. I don’t know if I didn’t let it mix long enough in the ice cream maker, but it was a bit icy and didn’t hold together well when we ate it (I would have loved a photo with perfectly formed scoops, but the sorbet wouldn’t have it). But it tastes so good it doesn’t really matter what it looks like!

I’m sure you could juice a fresh pomegranate for this, but who in their right mind would want to do that? The bottled stuff works just fine!

Pomegranate Sorbet

Makes 4 servings.
Recipe from Viking Cooking School.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1-2 lemons)
1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (optional, for garnish)

DIRECTIONS
Combine the water and sugar in a medium sauce pan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until cold.

Combine the chilled sugar syrup, pomegranate juice, and lemon juice. Refrigerate until cold.

Process the chilled mixture in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Process to a soft-serve consistency, then transfer the mixture to a storage container. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surgace, seal the container and freeze until firm.

To serve, scoop into chilled dishes, garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds, if desired, and serve immediately.

Double Chocolate Almond Macaroons

Lately I’ve been craving more than just chocolate. I’ve been craving chocolate combined with either almond or peanut butter. And while the peanut butter fudge brownies were awfully tempting, I wanted to try something new. I had a half a can of almond paste leftover from some cupcakes I made when my sister was here. I couldn’t very well let that go to waste!

I know that macarons are all the rage right now, meaning those cute little pastel colored sandwich cookies (though I’ve never actually had one). I am always confused as to the difference between macaroons and macarons, if there is any save an extra letter. I always thought of macaroons as dry coconut cookies that I didn’t have any desire to eat, though I now believe a macaron/macaroon is any almond and egg white based cookie, sandwiched with buttercream, coconut, or otherwise. I could be way off base, of course, but these cookies, whatever they are, are quite tasty. Lighter than your typical cookie (as their ‘body’ comes from egg white rather than flour/baking soda), and full of that almondy flavor I crave so much. Think of your standard chocolate chip cookie crossed with a fluffy meringue, that’s what the texture of this cookie is like.

Double Chocolate Almond Macaroons

Makes 18-20 cookies. Recipe from GourmetSleuth.

INGREDIENTS
1 10oz. can Almond Paste (different than marzipan)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped into pieces (or chocolate chips)
3 egg whites
pinch salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the almond paste and ½ cup of the sugar in the bowl of a mixer with paddle until broken up, about 2 minutes. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix to blend for another minute. Scrape down the bowl then add the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Add the chopped chocolate chunks.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Stir one third of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture, scraping the bowl well. Then fold in the remaining whites mixing just until the whites are blended. The batter will be fairly stiff. You may even want to work in the egg whites gently between your fingers.

Drop the batter by tablespoons onto the parchment-lined baking sheets or use a small portion scoop. Bake the cookies until set and lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets after 15 minutes to bake evenly.

Allow the cookies to cool completely then remove them from the parchment with a spatula. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies will keep fresh for 3 to 5 days.

Feed Us, Day 4: Almond-Crusted Chicken Cutlets with Papaya-Orange Salsa

Thanks to Mom for sending us this recipe!

Unfortunately for us, we couldn’t find turkey cutlets. Or any cut of turkey other than an entire turkey breast. Do you think they realize that turkey is, in fact, good to eat the rest of the year, and not just in November? Anyways, we were forced to use chicken cutlets instead. I think turkey is definitely preferable if you can find it, but the chicken (and you know how we feel about chicken) was actually quite tasty. The almond crust makes for a great way to cook cutlets.

Papaya mystifies me. Not only are they massive (we only needed half a fruit to fulfill the 1 cup required for the recipe – we froze the rest, smoothies maybe?) but I find it lacking in flavor. Almost like a mushy, bland melon. I know, mom, you could eat papaya day in and day out, and maybe I’m just missing the papaya-loving tastebud. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this recipe, I did! I’d just make it with mango next time. :)

Almond-Crusted Turkey Cutlets with Papaya-Orange Salsa

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Everyday Health.

INGREDIENTS
2 large oranges
1 cup diced papaya
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 whole jalapeño, 1 tablespoon minced seeded
1 tablespoon red onion, diced
1 teaspoon cumin, ground, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 lbs turkey cutlets
1/4 teaspoon chile pepper, ancho or pasilla, freshly ground
2 teaspoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Peel and section oranges over a bowl; squeeze membranes to extract juice. Place orange sections and 1/4 cup juice in a medium bowl; reserve remaining juice for another use. Discard membranes. Break orange sections into small pieces with 2 forks. Add papaya, cilantro, jalapeño, onion, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss gently, and set aside.

Place almonds in a shallow dish. Sprinkle turkey cutlets with remaining 3/4 teaspoon cumin, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Press both sides of each cutlet into the almonds to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-low heat. Add cutlets, and cook 6 minutes on each side or until turkey is done. Serve with salsa.

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream

I was feeling fruity the other day. Feeling fruity and vanilla-y and almond-y. Normally I’d either do vanilla cupcakes or almond cupcakes, but not this time. No, I wanted both. And this light and delicate cake provided just that. Flecks of almond meal and vanilla bean, spiked with almond extract, and topped with a bright blackberry buttercream, well, I don’t have to tell you that these were delicious.

A perfect choice for a dinner with friends – perfect because, well, our friend’s daughter joined us for dinner, and her favorite color just happens to be purple. Let’s just say that she wouldn’t give in until she got her purple cupcake BEFORE dinner, where she proceeded to dive in and lick every bit of the purple frosting off of the cupcake before she was satisfied.

And unlike some cupcakes I’ve made, these beauties are naturally purple… or purply-pink, to be precise.

They almost became a post for the failed-cupcake-hall-of-fame. See, I first added a bit of tofutti cream cheese to the frosting as I didn’t want it too sweet. I’ve done it before with chocolate buttercream, and the other flavors in the frosting always overpowered any weirdness lingering from the tofutti (I admit, it is not a substitute for the real thing). But in this case, I took a lick and realized something was horribly wrong. Took a finger-full to Taylor too just to confirm my suspicions. He nailed it – the frosting tasted like berry flavored yogurt, a few too many days past it’s sell-by date. Funny how non-dairy cream cheese can give an overpoweringly dairy-like taste to an otherwise good frosting. In to the trash it went.

Take 2: much better. No cream cheese. Fresh blackberries, pureed and strained. Half a vanilla bean, scraped off the pod and beautifully speckling the violet fluff. Just a hint of fragrant almond. And to top it all off – proof that my spiffy new flower molds DO work with marzipan (not quite as well, marzipan is extremely fragile and doesn’t hold the delicate shape as well), but it was the perfect topping on the perfect cupcake.

I don’t think I am the only one to think that the timing of these couldn’t be any better – can you say, perfect mothers’ day treat? I know my mom in particular would swoon over these (or anything almond for that matter – like mother like daughter!). If only I could figure out how to ship cupcakes to her, I would send her a box of these in an instant.

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream

Makes 12 cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds only)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Blackberry Buttercream:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons fresh blackberry puree, strained
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds only)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add sugar and mix. Whisk together oil, coconut milk, vanilla bean, and almond extract. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until relatively smooth. Fill cupcake liners with a scant 1/4 cup of batter (should be just under 2/3 of the way full). Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

For frosting, cream butter in electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Slowly add 1 cup sugar and beat until smooth. Add blackberry puree and mix until combined. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add vanilla bean and extract and mix at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes. Top with a marzipan flower, if desired.