CHOCOLATE, BANANA & PECAN COOKIES
WOODLAND MERINGUES MAKES ABOUT 70 COOKIES
MAKES ABOUT 24 COOKIES
8 ½ 1 1 3½ ½ ½ ¼ ¾ ¼ 1⅓ ¾
tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed cup + 2 tsp granulated sugar large egg, lightly beaten cup all-purpose flour tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder tsp baking powder tsp cinnamon tsp salt cup dark chocolate chips cup mashed banana (1 small) cups pecan halves, finely chopped cup + 1 tbsp icing sugar
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy; add the egg and continue to beat until incorporated. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl, then add to the butter and sugar. Mix on low speed for about 15 seconds; add the chocolate and banana. Beat until combined. Using your hands, roll the dough into a ball and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up. Place the pecans in a medium bowl. When firm, form the dough into 1" balls, rinsing your hands if they get sticky; roll each ball in the nuts, pressing to adhere. Set the balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (there’s no need to space them apart) and transfer to the fridge for an hour. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the icing sugar in a bowl and roll the cookies in it. Place the cookies on the baking sheets, spacing them 1" apart; flatten each cookie to ⅓" thick. Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will be soft coming out of the oven, so cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm.
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STYLEATHOME.COM NOVEMBER 2017
4½ oz egg whites (from about 3 large eggs) ½ tsp cream of tartar 1 cup + 3 tbsp granulated sugar ¾ tsp cornstarch ⅛ tsp baking powder ½ tsp pure vanilla extract Dark Chocolate Coating 3½ oz dark chocolate, chopped 1½ oz milk chocolate, chopped 1⅓ cups hazelnuts, toasted and very finely chopped White Chocolate Coating 5 oz white chocolate, chopped ½ cup finely chopped dried strawberries Preheat the oven to 275°F. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until they appear foamy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry or crumbly, about 30 seconds. Place the sugar in a bowl, add the cornstarch and baking powder, and gradually add the mixture to the egg whites 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until the egg white mixture is thick and glossy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Spoon mixture into a piping bag with a ⅔" tip in place. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, sticking each piece to the baking sheet with a dab of meringue under the corners. Pipe small drops onto each sheet; the base of each drop should be about 1" wide. Raise the piping bag as you pipe so the drops are about 2" high with a fine tip at the top. Once all the meringues have been piped, place both baking sheets in the oven at once. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 250°F (you
want it to be slightly hotter when they go in to give the meringues a crunch) and bake for 2½ hours. The meringues are done when they look dry and sound hollow when tapped gently underneath. Turn off the oven; prop open the door and leave the meringues inside until cool. To make the dark chocolate coating, place the dark and milk chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate is melted. Place the hazelnuts in a small bowl. Dip the base of each meringue into the chocolate, then into the hazelnuts; place meringues on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. To make the white chocolate coating, follow the instructions for the dark chocolate coating, dipping the base of each meringue into the strawberries instead of the hazelnuts.
AMARETTI WITH HONEY & ORANGE BLOSSOM MAKES 20 COOKIES
2 cups + 2 tbsp almond meal ½ cup + 2 tsp granulated sugar Finely grated zest of 1 lemon Finely grated zest of 1 small orange ⅛ tsp salt 2⅛ oz egg whites (from 1½ large eggs) 3½ tsp honey ¼ tsp orange blossom water ⅛ tsp best-quality almond extract 1 cup sliced almonds, for rolling 3½ tbsp icing sugar Combine the almond meal, sugar, lemon and orange zests and salt in a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. At the same time, place the honey in a small saucepan over medium
heat. Just before the honey comes to a boil, increase the speed of the mixer to mediumhigh. While the honey boils for 30 seconds, the egg whites should be forming soft peaks. Remove the honey from the heat and carefully pour into the egg whites in a continuous stream, beating the entire time. Continue beating after all the honey has been added, until the meringue is fully whipped and cooled, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment. Add the almond meal mixture, orange blossom water and almond extract. Beat until it all comes together to form a soft pliable paste. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Once chilled, divide the mixture into four equal portions. Sprinkle a quarter of the sliced almonds on a clean work surface and roll out one piece of dough overtop to form a log 12" long and ⅔" wide covered in almonds. Carefully transfer the log onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and sliced almonds. Place all the logs on the same baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the baking sheet from the fridge and cut each log into five 2⅓" pieces. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and roll each piece in the icing sugar to cover. Place the pieces ¾" apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown but still soft. Remove from the oven and set aside on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Serve warm or allow to cool on a wire rack.