ScarlettChocolate Almond Crunchies
August 13th 2008 09:11
Chocolate Almond Crunchies
About almond
The almond is most often eaten on its own, raw or toasted, it is used in some dishes. It, along with other nuts, is often sprinkled over desserts, particularly sundaes and other ice cream based dishes. It is also used in making baklava and nougat. There is also almond butter, a spread similar to peanut butter, popular with peanut allergy sufferers and for its less salty taste. The young, developing fruit of the almond tree can also be eaten as a whole ("green almonds"), when it is still green and fleshy on the outside, and the inner shell has not yet hardened. The fruit is somewhat sour, and is available only from mid April to mid June; pickling or brining extends the fruit's shelf life. A popular snack in parts of the Middle East, they're eaten dipped in salt to balance the sour taste.
In Greece, ground blanched almonds are used as the base material in a great variety of desserts, usually called amygdalota. Because of their white colour, most are traditionally considered "wedding sweets" and are served at wedding banquets.
Sweet almonds are used in marzipan, nougat, and macaroons, as well as other desserts. Almonds are a rich source of Vitamin E, containing 24 mg per 100 g. They are also rich in monounsaturated fat, one of the two "good" fats responsible for lowering LDL cholesterol.
In China, almonds are used in a popular dessert when they are mixed with milk and then served hot. In Indian cuisine, almonds are the base ingredient for pasanda-style curries.
About golden syrup
Golden syrup is a thick, amber-colored form of inverted sugar syrup, made in the process of refining sugar cane juice into sugar, or by treatment of a sugar solution with acid. It is used in a variety of baking recipes and desserts. It has an appearance similar to honey, and is often used as a substitute for people who do not eat honey. It can also be used as a substitute for corn syrup.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 18
50 gm / 2 oz dark chocolate with 70-75% cocoa solids
40 gm / 1½ oz whole almonds, skin on
110 gm / 4 oz butter
75 gm / 3 oz demerara sugar
1 dessertspoon golden syrup
110 gm / 4 oz self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
110 gm / 4 oz porridge oats
1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC / 325ºF. Lightly grease two 28 X 35 cm / 11 X 14 inches baking sheets with groundnut or other flavourless oil.
2. Using a sharp knife, chop the chocolate into small chunks about 5 mm / ¼ inch square.
3. Put the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan, place it on the gentlest heat possible and let it all dissolve, which will take 2-3 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, chop the nuts into small chunks about the same size as the chocolate pieces.
5. When the butter mixture has dissolved, take it off the heat.
6. In a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour and salt and add the porridge oats and half the chocolate and nuts, then give this a quick mix before pouring in the butter mixture.
7. Using a wooden spoon, stir and mix everything together, then switch from a spoon to your hands to bring everything together to form a dough. If it seems a bit dry, add a few drops of cold water.
8. Take half the dough and divide it into 9 lumps the size of a large walnut, then roll them into rounds, using the flat of your hand.
9. Place the round lumps on a worktop and press gently to flatten them out into rounds approximately 6 cm / 2½ inches in diameter.
10. Scatter half the remaining chocolate and almonds on top of the biscuits, pressing them down lightly.
11. Once you have filled one sheet (give them enough room to spread out during baking), bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 15 minutes while you prepare the second sheet.
12. When they’re all cooked, leave them to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.
13. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to finish cooling.
14. Serve or you can store the biscuits in a sealed container.
**From “The Delia Collection Chocolate” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**
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