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Monday, December 22, 2014

Alpha Bakers: Almond Coffee Crisps


There is not much to say about these cookies. That is not to mean that there's nothing to say. They are easy and delicious. I could not stop eating them.

This cookie was the first recipe I baked from the book. I am not baking in order, I know. But I really felt like baking the weekend after my book arrived. And I didn't feel like going to the grocery store so I had to make do with what I have in my pantry.

I was prepared though to bake this recipe, somehow, since I went to Whole Foods the week before and remembered to get Medaglia D'Oro espresso powder. I know Rose liked this brand and had checked the book and see that she indeed has recipes that use it. I vividly remembered when we started baking through Rose's Heavenly Cakes in Sep 2009 (yikes!), I could not find Medaglia D'Oro anywhere! So I used Starbucks' Via Ready Brew French Roast. It was a pretty new product back then and I liked the flavor. It was only after a year into baking Rose's Heavenly Cakes (or maybe a year and a half) that I saw Whole Foods started carrying Medaglia D'Oro. I remembered standing there in the isle thinking "finally!!!" and doing a mental happy dance (I don't really need the folks at Whole Foods thinking I'm crazy).




This recipe is on the Quick and Easy Recipe list. And it is really quick and easy. I only had unblanched whole almonds so I tried to sliced them up in half and toast them that way.

I read the recipe twice and still managed to miss the part where Rose said to combine the almonds, flour, instant espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. I combined everything except the flour. It was only when I got to the next section and noticed it mentioning "flour mixture" I stopped, thinking "flour mixture? where is the flour mixture?" I reread the recipe again and that's when I realized what I did wrong. So I mix the flour with the almonds in a bowl by hand. I don't know if this effect the recipe.

Instead of using a large sheet of plastic wrap, I decided to use a zip lock baggie instead. I think it's easier because I won't have any issue with runaway dough. Everything is contained in the bag. It doesn't really look appetizing from the bag picture below by the way.


I followed the instructions on shaping, but my cookies didn't really have smooth edge. It didn't bother me though as they are so good.

By the way, I added a page to my blog that list all the recipes from the book. See it here.


Alpha Bakers is a group of bakers who are baking through The Baking Bible, Rose Levy Beranbaum's latest cookbook. Come check out the rest of the group at Rose's Alpha Bakers.

10 comments:

  1. ב''ה

    I like how your cookies look. They have an almost oatmeal-texture look to them.

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  2. I too like how your cookies look with oatmeal texture like Mendy said. Must be tasting better cos look like it has more substance.. more bite to it!

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  3. I agree, they do have an oatmeal-like appearance. I wonder if I processed mine too much. If I did, I love they way they turned out. Hope you can stop by and see my delectable flat crisps.

    Patricia @ ButterYum
    http://www.butteryum.org/roses-alpha-bakers/2014/11/6/tbb-almond-coffee-crisps

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  4. Jenn, your cookies look great, I like the more coarse texture. You did a great job of making such a nondescript cookie look so pretty in the picture, too!! I hope you can take a look at my "conversation" with Rose about these cookies at www.artfuloven.com. Happy holidays!

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  5. At first when I looked at your cookie, I thought you'd added sesame seeds, but did you just not grind the almonds to a powder? I actually like the idea of having a little more texture in this cookie, so I'm glad to see these pictures.

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    1. Marie, I think I must have not grind the almonds enough. I'm always afraid of over-grinding them so that's probably why. Funny that everyone seem to like how they look - whereas after seeing how smooth others' cookies are, I didn't like how mine look! Grass is greener, Marie!!!

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  6. Your cookies look yummy and "hearty," kind of like health cookies, but more delicious!

    Mine came out really light (http://bakedtoorder.blogspot.com/2014/12/roses-alpha-bakers-almond-coffee-crisps.html), I think because my almonds didn't have the skin on, but I like the look of the darker cookies that you and some of the other bakers ended up with.

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  7. It's true, to find an ingredient Rose uses in the store is a great find! Great photos. These cookies were irresistible!

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  8. Love the texture of your cookies. They look wholesome. I figure as long as the cookies tasted good, who cares what they look like.

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  9. just want to mention that the reason we specified slilced almonds is that they process to a much finer degree than when starting with whole almonds. if all i can find is whole almonds, then first i use the grating disc on the processor. this helps to process them more evenly without some of them turning to paste.

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