los Angeles Times 27 Best Cookbooks (533 views)

amarante -- Thanks for posting! I haven't heard of many of the cookbooks and interesting to read their take on them. I did add a few to my library list (Taste of Persia, Food52.....), and a few were already on my list. GIven the number of requests, it will be awhile before it is my turn for some of the books, but it isn't like I have any shortage of recipes or books to look at.

Thanks again.

I have the German Baking cookbook and the recipes are quite interesting. Pwhen I grew up the best bakeries were really Austro Hungarian and I prefer those types to French or Italian. The names are all in German with lovely explanations.

There is one for an almond paste horn which I know would be divine as I even love the bastardized version from a mediocre vpbakery around here.

Here's the recipe. Lots of the stuff has Almond or Almond paste which I love. Again probably because my Proustian baked goods were from the Austrian German bakeries in my neighborhood and they were the special treat. They just don't have that quality of baked goods unless you go to a very high end bakery now but there were several neighborhood ones that just served the very working and middle class neighborhood I grew up in.

MANDELHÖRNCHEN

Chocolate-Dipped Almond Crescents

Excerpt From: Weiss, Luisa - Classic German Baking

“MAKES ABOUT 10 COOKIES

These gluten-free chocolate-dipped almond crescents are a beloved after-school snack in Germany. The cookie itself is chewy, like a macaroon, but gets a pleasing crunch from the sliced almonds embedded in the dough. The ends of Mandelhörnchen are usually dipped in chocolate. When developing the recipe, I realized that I preferred crescents that had a bit of chocolate in each bite, so I dip the bottom of each crescent in chocolate, instead of just the ends. Bakery-made specimens are often quite large, but I prefer to make a slightly smaller cookie, keeping the crescents no larger than palm-size.

In Germany, the ubiquity of Mandelhörnchen at every corner bakery means that hardly anyone makes them at home, but they are very simple to throw together. If you are a fan of almond paste, you will love these.

For maximum authenticity, Mandelhörnchen should be made with blanched sliced almonds.

7 ounces/200g almond paste
¼ cup/50g granulated sugar
1 egg white
1 cup/85g blanched sliced almonds
3½ ounces/100g bittersweet chocolate (minimum 50% cacao), chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2 Cut or tear the almond paste into small pieces or grate it on a box grater’s largest holes and place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment. Add the sugar and egg white. Beat together until creamy and uniform, 1 to 2 minutes.

3 Place the sliced almonds in a wide, shallow bowl. Place a bowl of cold water nearby. Dip your hands in the cold water, and then take a piece (about one-tenth) of the almond dough and roll out evenly to 4½ inches/11cm long. Place the log in the bowl of sliced almonds and turn to coat evenly all over. Place the log on the prepared baking sheet and form it into a crescent. Repeat with the remaining dough and almonds.

4 Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the almonds are toasted and the cookie dough is golden brown and gently puffed. Place the baking sheet on a rack to cool.

“5 When the crescents are completely cool, melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler set over simmering water or in a microwave in short bursts, stirring after every few bursts. Brush the bottom of each cookie thinly with some of the melted chocolate and then dip the ends of each crescent about ¾ inch/2cm into the melted chocolate if you wish. Place the cookies on the lined baking sheet, chocolate-side down, to set the chocolate, about 1 hour.

6 When the chocolate is fully set, transfer the cookies to an airtight container, where they will keep for up to 1 week.

Yes it does include a recipe. I bought a tub of it from a restaurant supply store but making it seems fairly easy with a food processor.

I can post the recipe if you want it immediately. :-)

ETA I think soft commercial Almond paste would be fine. I just remember biuing the brand avsilable in the supermarket was very expensive on a per ounce basis which is why I bought a tub of it. It was a year I was making a lot of cookies for The holiday season and many used Almond paste like the Italian Tricolor cookies.