Baked Almond Crisp Sandwich Cookies
Mini almond meringue sandwich cookies inspired by classic French almond cakes, filled with almond buttercream and almond caramel crumbles for a richly layered texture.
Ingredients
almond meringue - skinless sliced almonds
1/2 cup
almond meringue - cornstarch
1 tbsp
almond meringue - fine granulated sugar (divided: 1/3 cup for grinding almonds, 1/3 cup for whipping egg whites)
2/3 cup
almond meringue - large egg whites (room temperature)
3
almond buttercream filling (see recipe on page 363)
to taste
almond caramel crunch - fine granulated sugar
1/2 cup
almond caramel crunch - water
1/4 cup
almond caramel crunch - roasted sliced almonds (pre-roasted)
1/2 cup
Instructions
1
Preparation
Place two oven racks near the center of the oven, preheat to 200°F (approx. 95°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2
Make almond sugar mixture
Add almonds, cornstarch and 1/3 cup of sugar to a food processor, grind until fine for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
3
Whip egg whites
Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whip egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and continue whipping until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Gently fold the almond mixture into the meringue in two batches using a rubber spatula.
4
Pipe meringue discs
Fit a large piping bag with a 1/4 inch round tip. Pipe 1 1/2 inch discs onto the prepared baking sheets, spiraling from the outer edge toward the center, spaced about 1/2 inch apart (each sheet should hold 24 discs). Bake for 1 to 1.5 hours until dry and firm. Leave the meringues on the baking sheets to cool completely on a wire rack.
5
Make buttercream filling
Prepare the almond buttercream following the recipe on page 363. Set aside.
6
Make almond caramel crunch
Lightly grease a jelly roll pan. Place sugar and water in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat to high, do not stir, occasionally brush the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystallization. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes until the sugar syrup caramelizes to an amber brown color. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the almonds. Pour the caramel mixture onto the greased pan, place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes until hardened.
7
Grind caramel crunch
Transfer the hardened caramel to a cutting board and chop roughly with a large knife. Add to a food processor and grind until fine for about 30 seconds. (This recipe yields more caramel crunch than needed for the cookies; it is difficult to make in small batches. Store extra caramel crunch in an airtight container for use as ice cream topping.)
8
Assemble cookies
Use a small metal spatula to spread about 1 teaspoon of almond buttercream on the top of a meringue disc, then sprinkle with some caramel crunch. Place a second meringue disc on top (flat side up), spread a layer of buttercream on the top of this disc, then sprinkle with more caramel crunch. Repeat with the remaining meringue discs, buttercream and caramel crunch.
9
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, but best enjoyed on the day they are made.
