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The Coronavirus pandemic prompted me to cook something comforting. One of my favorite cookbooks is Gina Depalma's "Dolce Italiano", for which she won the James Beard award. Gina passed several years ago from cancer, but her memory lives on in the recipes for which she became respected and beloved. This is a riff on her Chocolate Kisses (Baci di Cioccolato). I've added a few ingredients, and changed the shape. Also, I used regular cocoa powder rather than Dutch processed, so I swapped in baking soda. Let me know what you think. #CookingInCrisis Link to original recipe: https://www.cookstr.com/Valentines-Day-Recipes/Chocolate-Kisses
View original recipe on cookpad.comCookies
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Spread the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them until they are light golden brown and fragrant, 14 to 16 minutes.
Remove the almonds from the oven and turn off the oven until you are ready to form the cookies. Allow the almonds to cool completely, then grind them in a food processor with the 1 tablespoon sugar until they are finely chopped.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt then set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and confectioners sugar on medium speed until creamy and light, about 2 minutes, then beat in the vanilla extract, rum, and peanut butter and scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients, followed by the ground almonds.
Remove the dough from the bowl, divide into 3 logs about 2" each in diameter, wrap it in plastic, and chill for about 1 hour, until it is firm enough to handle.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two half-sheet pans with silpat sheets. Cut each log into 1/2-inch lengths, then dredge the discs in granulated sugar to coat them completely. Place the cookies on the baking sheets, spaced 1/2 inch apart. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.
Bake the cookies, rotating the sheets 180 degrees to ensure even browning, until they are puffed and cracking slightly on top, 7-8 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 1 or 2 minutes, then use a spatula to remove them gently to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ganache
Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 second increments until almost melted, then stir to avoid overheating. Pour the cream over the top, and allow the mixture to sit for a minute, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Whisk in the rum, if you like. Allow the ganache to cool, whisking it occasionally, until it is firm enough to spread.
To assemble the wafers: pair up the cookies according to size. Using a small offset spatula, spread a small amount of ganache onto one disc, then place the second disc on top to form a sandwich. Repeat until all the cookies have been used. Allow the ganache to firm up. Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 2 days, if they last that long.
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