{"id":585,"date":"2021-04-25T18:04:12","date_gmt":"2021-04-25T18:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/?p=585"},"modified":"2022-12-14T14:31:25","modified_gmt":"2022-12-14T14:31:25","slug":"mandelhornchen-a-k-a-almond-horns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/index.php\/2021\/04\/25\/mandelhornchen-a-k-a-almond-horns\/","title":{"rendered":"MANDELHORNCHEN a\/k\/a \u201cAlmond Horns\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Here\u2019s a recipe that many readers will know because they\u2019re very popular at certain upscale supermarkets. They have a lot going for them, starting with a very pure hit of almond and chocolate (two flavors that love each other), and continuing through the fact that they\u2019re naturally gluten- and dairy-free, which suits a lot of people with allergy problems. They\u2019re also very generous and fairly dense, which means that anyone who\u2019s willing to eat baked goods for breakfast can get by with 2-3 \u201ccookies\u201d and a nice cup of Joe. (A meal that Scott has admittedly enjoyed as he writes this article).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other benefit? Almond Horns are incredibly easy to make. The basic recipe couldn\u2019t be simpler: (1) put everything in a food processor; (2) grind until it\u2019s smooth and begins to ball up; (3) roll each piece in almond flakes; (4) bake; and (5) coat the horns or bottom with chocolate. The issues come up with the little details that avoid problems in each of those steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As always, please skip to the bottom if you are only here for the recipe<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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 Step 1 \u2013 Choices About Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Classic European recipes typically start from Marzipan rather than working from scratch. Take Marzipan, blend with egg white(s) to loosen it up, and you\u2019re basically there. Convenience cookies!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marzipan isn\u2019t as common in the U.S., costs more, and the different brands vary in their dedication to the cult of sugar and the abuse of almond extract. We\u2019re also a nation of people who take food processors for granted. That tool converts Marzipan from a painstaking process into a walk in the park. If cooking from scratch is cheaper, just as easy, more reliable, easier to customize, and lets you use a little less sugar\u2026 well, cook from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recommend that you start from almond meal because it\u2019s become easy to obtain and ensures an even result. In the ideal world you\u2019d start from whole or slivered almonds, toast them to enhance the natural flavor, and then reduce that to meal during the grinding stage. It\u2019s really up to you. But from one obsessive purist to another? We just get the almond meal. There\u2019s so much extract that the toasted flavors get lost anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2 \u2013 Grind It All Together<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No kidding. That\u2019s all you do. Put everything in the machine except your coatings (toasted almond flakes and chocolate). Process, scraping down the sides from time to time, until it comes together into a smooth dough that balls up around the blade. Done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That couldn\u2019t be any easier, but there are a couple of tricks because the dough changes with (a) your kitchen\u2019s level of humidity, and (b) whether your Size Large egg whites are closer to mediums or closer to XL\u2019s. They do vary within each range you know. It isn’t a problem if you keep the target in mind: \u201cDough that is just sticky enough to hold on to toasted almond flakes.\u201d<\/em> Too sticky and it will be hard to work with. Not sticky enough, and your coating will fall off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n