Fully decked out with vibrant fruit, slivers of nuts, and shiny matcha glaze, they taste incredibly indulgent. But these gorgeous treats are good for you too. Candied-orange wedges add a twist to Almond- Orange Mendiant Cookies.
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Corn syrup makes the matcha glaze shiny, but you can leave it out for a pretty matte coating.
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ALMOND-ORANGE
MENDIANT
COOKIES
MAKES: ABOUT 32
START TO FINISH: 50 MINUTES,
PLUS COOLING AND SETTING
> 1½ cups all-purpose fl our
> ½ cup almond fl our
> ¼ tsp salt
> ¾ cup icing sugar
> 11 tbsp unsalted butter,
room temperature
> 2 large egg yolks
> 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
> 170g bittersweet chocolate,
fi nely chopped
> ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
> 4 slices candied orange, each
cut into 8 small wedges
1. Whisk together fl ours and the salt in
a small bowl. Beat the icing sugar and 10 tablespoons butter in an electric mixer on low speed until creamy. Add the egg yolks and beat until incorporated, then beat
in the vanilla, scraping the bowl occasionally. With the mixer on
low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients. Beat just until the mixture forms large clumps.
2. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap
and shape into an 28cm log that’s 4cm in diameter. Roll
tightly in the plastic wrap and
refrigerate until fi rm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
3. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment. Cut the dough log into 1cm-thick slices and place on the prepared sheet, spacing 4cm apart.
4. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are golden brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks.
5. Microwave two-thirds of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in 15-second increments, stirring until just melted. Add the re maining chocolate and 1 table spoon butter and stir just until melted. If the mixture is runny, let stand, stirring occasionally, until it’s the consistency of pancake batter.
6. Divide the chocolate among the cookies and spread, leaving 1cm rim. Press the almonds and candied orange on top of the wet chocolate. Let stand until set.
MAKES: 20
START TO FINISH: 45 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING AND SETTING
> 2 large egg whites
> ½ cup sugar
> ¼ tsp kosher salt
> 1 tbsp honey
> 2½ cups unsweetened very
fi nely shredded coconut
> ½ tsp matcha powder
> ¼ cup heavy cream
> 230g white chocolate,
fi nely chopped
> 1 tbsp corn syrup (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 160 deg C. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment.
2. Whisk the egg whites and sugar in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves and the whites are very thick and opaque. Whisk in the salt and honey
until smooth. Fold in the coconut until well mixed.
3. Divide the mixture into 20 even mounds and place on the prepared sheet, spacing 3cm apart. With damp hands, pat each mound fi rmly into a pyramid shape.
4. Bake until golden brown and fi rm, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely on the sheet on a wire rack.
5. Whisk the matcha into the cream in a small saucepan until smooth. Heat over medium heat until bubbles just begin to form around the edge. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Stir slowly until smooth. Stir in the corn syrup if using.
6. Dip each macaroon into the matcha glaze, letting excess drip off , then place directly on the rack to set.
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Crush dehydrated raspberries for healthy sprinkles.
PISTACHIO- RASPBERRY PETITS FOURS
MAKES: 40
START TO FINISH: 1 HOUR, PLUS COOLING AND CHILLING
> 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios > ¾ cup granulated sugar
> 8 tbsp unsalted butter,
room temperature
> 340g cream cheese,
room temperature
> 1 large egg
> 1 cup all-purpose fl our
> 1 tsp baking powder
> ¼ tsp plus a pinch of salt
> ¼ cup raspberry jam
> ½ cup packed icing sugar
> Dehydrated or fresh raspberries, for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Coat a 23cm by 33cm cake pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom and sides with parchment and spray.
2. Pulse the pistachios and granulated sugar in a food processor until very fi nely ground. Add the butter and 110g cream cheese. Pulse until smooth, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the egg and pulse until incorporated. Add the fl our, baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt and pulse just until no traces of fl our remain, scraping the bowl occasionally. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
3. Bake until golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. (When you press the top gently with a fingertip, it should spring back.) Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then invert onto a cutting board. Discard the parchment.
4. Cut the rectangle in half crosswise to form two 15cm by 23cm rectangles. Spread the jam on one rectangle, then sandwich with the other. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day or freeze for at least 30 minutes for the layers to set.
5. Beat the remaining 230g cream cheese until very smooth. Add the icing sugar and remaining pinch of salt and beat until smooth. Spread evenly on top of the rectangle. To make cutting easier, refrigerate or freeze until fi rm and set.
6. Trim the edges and cut into 3cm squares. Top each with a raspberry. (If using dehydrated berries, crush into bits to make sprinkles if desired.)
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