caramel-glazed almonds.
From "Classic Home Desserts" by the late Richard Sax (who died way too young.) He calls this recipe his all-time favorite cookie. I've tried it many times, and though my layers are anything but perfect the cookies still look perfect when sliced into squares, the jam forming a thin red stripe.
ALMOND BRITTLE COOKIES
Makes 5 dozen cookies
Carlo's Cookie Dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup jam, such as raspberry, black currant or apricot
1-1/2 Tbs. brandy or any liqueur (optional)
9 Tbs. (1 stick plus 1 Tbs.) unsalted butter
1/2 cup cup plus 1 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 heaping Tbs. honey
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
A few drops lemon juice
2 cups sliced blanched almonds (I use shaved unblanched almonds.)
1. Lightly butter a 15-1/2 x 10-1/2-inch jelly roll pan. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is slightly larger than the pan. Transfer to the pan without stretching, allowing dough to hang over sides. Chill 20 minutes or longer. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400*F.
2. Trim the edges of the dough flush with the outside edges of the pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Bake just until slightly golden, 16 to 18 minutes, pricking any bubbles with a fork as they rise. Don't overbake; it will bake a second time. Remove the pan to a wire rack; leave the oven on.
3. Stir together the jam and the optional brandy. Gently brush or spoon a thin, even layer over the dough.
4. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the sugar, salt and honey and cook, stirring over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the cream, raise the heat and boil until the mixture is smooth and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, lemon juice and almonds. Spoon the almond mixture over the dough, gently spread out to cover completely.
5. Return to the oven and bake until the topping is bubbly and golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. (Watch carefully, as the topping can go beyond caramelized and burn quickly. You may want to rotate the pan partway through the baking time to help it brown more evenly.)
6. Cool to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack. Use a yardstick to guide you as you cut the cookies into neat 1-inch squares; trim the rough edges and save for snacking. Tightly cover the cookies with plastic wrap, in the pan or on a plate; store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
NOTE: I only have 11 x 17-inch pans, so I increase the ingredients by about 25%. I cut them into 48 nice-sized bars.
CARLO'S COOKIE DOUGH
(From Carlo Bussetti, Sax's baking teacher. The dough can also be used for tart shells. It freezes well.)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
Grated zest of 2 oranges
1/4 cup lightly beaten egg (1 jumbo egg or 1 large egg plus one yolk)
2 Tbs. milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1. Cream the butter with an electric mixer at medium-high speed. Add the sugar, salt and orange zest; beat until fluffy. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Lower the speed to slow and add the flours; stop beating as soon as the flours are mixed in. The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
2. Gather the dough together. Dust with flour, wrap in plastic and chill at least 1-1/2 hours. Let the dough soften slightly before rolling out.
From "Classic Home Desserts" by the late Richard Sax (who died way too young.) He calls this recipe his all-time favorite cookie. I've tried it many times, and though my layers are anything but perfect the cookies still look perfect when sliced into squares, the jam forming a thin red stripe.
ALMOND BRITTLE COOKIES
Makes 5 dozen cookies
Carlo's Cookie Dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup jam, such as raspberry, black currant or apricot
1-1/2 Tbs. brandy or any liqueur (optional)
9 Tbs. (1 stick plus 1 Tbs.) unsalted butter
1/2 cup cup plus 1 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 heaping Tbs. honey
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
A few drops lemon juice
2 cups sliced blanched almonds (I use shaved unblanched almonds.)
1. Lightly butter a 15-1/2 x 10-1/2-inch jelly roll pan. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is slightly larger than the pan. Transfer to the pan without stretching, allowing dough to hang over sides. Chill 20 minutes or longer. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400*F.
2. Trim the edges of the dough flush with the outside edges of the pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Bake just until slightly golden, 16 to 18 minutes, pricking any bubbles with a fork as they rise. Don't overbake; it will bake a second time. Remove the pan to a wire rack; leave the oven on.
3. Stir together the jam and the optional brandy. Gently brush or spoon a thin, even layer over the dough.
4. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the sugar, salt and honey and cook, stirring over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the cream, raise the heat and boil until the mixture is smooth and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, lemon juice and almonds. Spoon the almond mixture over the dough, gently spread out to cover completely.
5. Return to the oven and bake until the topping is bubbly and golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. (Watch carefully, as the topping can go beyond caramelized and burn quickly. You may want to rotate the pan partway through the baking time to help it brown more evenly.)
6. Cool to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack. Use a yardstick to guide you as you cut the cookies into neat 1-inch squares; trim the rough edges and save for snacking. Tightly cover the cookies with plastic wrap, in the pan or on a plate; store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
NOTE: I only have 11 x 17-inch pans, so I increase the ingredients by about 25%. I cut them into 48 nice-sized bars.
CARLO'S COOKIE DOUGH
(From Carlo Bussetti, Sax's baking teacher. The dough can also be used for tart shells. It freezes well.)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
Grated zest of 2 oranges
1/4 cup lightly beaten egg (1 jumbo egg or 1 large egg plus one yolk)
2 Tbs. milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1. Cream the butter with an electric mixer at medium-high speed. Add the sugar, salt and orange zest; beat until fluffy. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Lower the speed to slow and add the flours; stop beating as soon as the flours are mixed in. The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
2. Gather the dough together. Dust with flour, wrap in plastic and chill at least 1-1/2 hours. Let the dough soften slightly before rolling out.
