Chocolate Thimbles

By ctozzi

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• a pinch of salt
• 3/4 cups raw almonds, chopped
• a tablet of chocolate
• 3 tablespoon cream.

Preparation

Step 1

Cut the almonds to rough chop, separate the egg and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar until pale yellow. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and cream until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour and the pinch of salt and mix until the dough comes together. If your dough feels a little dry, sprinkle with up to 1 teaspoon of cold water until in forms a solid mass. Scoop dough into about 20 portions (Nikole uses a small ice cream scoop #100) and roll into small balls.

Whisk the egg white lightly, one by one roll each ball in the white and then the chopped almonds.

Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and press down gently until each is a slightly flatten ball. Using your thumb or the small end of a melon baller or the bottom of a small round measuring spoon, make a small indent in the centre of each cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove sheets from oven, and re-press indentations (if necessary).

Bake until lightly golden. 5 to 10 minutes more.

Let cool on wire racks.

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate and 3 tablespoon of cream in 10-second increments until melted; Spoon about a 1/4 teaspoon of chocolate into each indent.

Read more: http://croce-delizia.blogspot.com/2012/07/i-biscotti-della-nonna-di-nikole.html#ixzz27mH1977h