Gingered Almonds Recipes

GINGERED LEMON ALMOND SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a food processor grind fine the almonds with 1/4 cup of the confectioners' sugar and 1 cup of the flour, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it just resembles meal. Pat the mixture into an 8-inch-square baking pan and bake the crust in the middle of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is pale golden. Let the crust cool completely in the pan on a rack.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the eggs until they are thick and pale, beat in the granulated sugar and the lemon juice, and beat the mixture for 8 minutes. Sift in the remaining 2 tablespoons flour, the baking powder, the ginger, and a pinch of salt, stir the filling until it is combined well, and pour it over the crust. Bake the confection in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is set and pale golden. Transfer the dessert in the pan to the rack, sift the additional confectioners' sugar over the top, and let the dessert cool completely. Cut the dessert into 2-inch squares.

GINGER AND ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line the pan with baking parchment, letting the parchment hang over the sides. (This will make it easier to remove the dessert once baked.)
• Prepare the base:
• In the saucepan, melt the butter. Add the almond meal, fresh ginger, honey, egg, salt, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. The mixture should be thick and sticky.
• Turn the mixture out into the prepared pan. To help make a level and even base, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the base. Using a flat-bottomed glass (or your fingers), smooth out the base by pressing gently to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Remove and discard the plastic wrap. Bake until the base is slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the topping:
• In the same saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the almonds, candied ginger, honey, salt, and vanilla. Stir just until the ingredients are incorporated.
• When the base is baked, spread the topping evenly over the base and bake until the topping is dark and sizzling, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not underbake.
• Transfer the pan to the baking rack to cool. When the dessert is completely cool, remove it from the pan using the overhanging parchment as handles and cut it into 16 even squares.
• Do Ahead
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
• Variation:
• Chestnut Honey Squares: For the base, replace 1 cup (90g) almond meal with 3/4 cup (120 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour and use a strong honey, such as chestnut, in place of the mild honey. For the topping, replace the candied ginger with organic candied orange or lemon peel, cut into tiny cubes.

GINGER-GLAZED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Melt butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat. Add remaining ingredients except almonds and cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, then add almonds and stir until coated.
• Spread almonds in a lightly oiled shallow baking pan (1 inch deep)and bake, stirring occasionally, until insides of nuts are golden (cut 1 open to test), about 25 minutes. Cool completely.

GINGERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl combine salt, ginger, coriander and pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Whisk in honey, then spices. Using a rubber spatula, fold in bay leaves and almonds.
• Spread almond mixture in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake, stirring nuts and rotating baking sheets once or twice, until almonds are dry and crisp. Serve immediately or spread out on baking racks covered with parchment to cool. Keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

GINGER-SPICED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. In 15x10x1-inch pan, spread almonds. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix remaining ingredients except egg whites and butter; set aside. In large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Continue beating, gradually adding sugar mixture. Fold in almonds.
• Place butter in same pan. Place in oven 3 to 5 minutes or until butter is melted. Spread almond mixture over butter. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until almonds are brown and no butter remains. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Store in airtight container.

GINGER ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter loaf pan and line bottom with wax paper.
• In a shallow baking pan toast almonds in middle of oven until a shade darker, about 10 minutes. Cool nuts and very coarsely chop. Finely chop crystallized ginger. Into a bowl sift together flour, sugar, ground ginger, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together whole egg, egg white, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and beat until combined well. Stir in almonds and crystallized ginger.
• Press dough into loaf pan and bake in middle of oven until pale golden, about 45 minutes. Turn loaf out onto a rack and cool 10 minutes. On a cutting board with a serrated knife cut loaf crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Arrange biscotti on a baking sheet and bake in middle of oven until crisp, about 15 minutes. Cool biscotti on rack. Biscotti keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 2 weeks.

GINGER-ALMOND SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar and almond extract until smooth.
• Add flour, ginger, and ground almonds and beat mixture until well combined.
• On a floured surface, roll dough out to 1/2-inch thickness.
• Cut into two-inch rounds and place 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Press a whole almond into the center of each cookie and bake about 20 minutes or until very lightly colored.
• Remove to rack and cool.