1 1/4 cup blanched whole almonds (about 7 oun, ces)
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3 oz bitterswet (not unsweetened) or swm, isweet
1 chocolate, chopped fairly fine
1/4 tsp (generous) almond extract
2 large egg whites
2 to 5 tbl confectioners' sugar for r, olling out coo
Directions
Heat oven to 325F. Line several baking sheets with aluminum foil.
In a food processor, process the almonds and 1 cup powdered sugar
until the almonds are powder-fine but not oily; stop the processor
and scrape down the sides several times. Add the cocoa powder,
cinnamon, cloves, and chocolate; continue processing until the
chocolate is finely ground. Add the remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar,
the almond extract, and egg whites; process until the mixture is
blended and just forms a mass. Set the dough aside for 5 to 10
minutes to stiffen slightly.
Generously dust a work surface with powdered sugar. If the dough
seems too soft to roll out easily, dust it with more sugar and knead
until the consistency is manageable, but avoid adding any more sugar
than absolutely necessary. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness,
lifting it with a spatula frequently and redusting the surface and
rolling pin with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Cut out the
cookies using a 2 1/4-inch heart-shaped (or similar) cutter. Use a
spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, about
1 inch apart.
Bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes or until almost firm on top and
slightly puffy. Let them stand on the foil lined baking sheets until
completely cooled. Peel from the foil. Store airtight for 3 to 4 days.
Freeze, airtight, for longer storage.
Makes about forty 2 1/4-inch cookies.
[THE BALTIMORE SUN; November 25. 1990]
Posted by Fred Peters.
Servings: 2 servings
Basel Brunsli (Basel Chocolate-Spice Cookies) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Chocolate; Cookie; Dessert
The History of Recipes
Academics have tracked the existance of recipes far back into the distant past, in fact as far as early Egypt, and potentially, even further back. Interesting though that is, in the main part, these old cookbooks were just very basic hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for food preparation.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe discovered so far, according to historians are some stone tablets in ancient Sumerian describing the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who tried it feel wonderful. During Roman times around 25BC a roman called Apicius created a few documents showing how to cook the recipes prepared by wealthy roman citizens. In his works, he describes how the meals were separated into hors d`oeuvre, main course and afters, a style of dining still practiced today. Aspicius recounts how the early Romans were skilled in the use of a wide range of herbs and spices, including a few that will be familiar to modern chefs like basil, mint and dill. As our culinary historical trip moves on a few more years there were a couple of books which were published in the fourteenth century - one book titled `Forme of Cury`, and another entitled `Curye on Inglish`. The titles are somewhat misleading tho`, these are not about the spicy food that is popular today, but rather accounts of the types of meals prepared by the chefs of the nobility of those days. In the fifteenth century, people returning from the crusades brought us many new foods and herbs from middle-east cuisine, including spices like coriander, parsley, and rosemary. These new foods and tastes caused an increase in manuscripts on cookery, many of which still exist in private libraries. During the succeeding few hundred years, the upper classes strove to lay on the most extravagent meals, and because of this the best chefs and their recipes were greatly in demand. However, it wasn`t until the nineteenth century that cooking and recipe collections really came of age. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, devoted much of their lives to assembling, verifying, and publishing recipes to allow everyone to enjoy them. By the arrival of the 1900s, cookery books are starting to become popular mostly as a result of higher levels of literacy, people having increased spare time and having more money. Like it or not, the introduction of television gave us celebrity TV chefs and the demand for the accompanying recipe books. And that pretty much brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, permitting everybody to access massive numbers of recipes just like those on our web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Basel Brunsli (Basel Chocolate Spice Cookies) recipe.
