fudgy almond cookie cake
For almond croissant and rainbow cookie lovers.
When I was a kid, my favorite candy bar was marzipan. I’d eat it ripped right from the tube until someone told me I’d get a stomachache. Luckily no one and nothing is getting in the way of me and SJ’s latest dessert, which stretches almond paste with only enough flour, eggs, and butter to transform the sweet almond Play-Doh into a cookie-cake.
Quick programming note: I’m taking next week off to stare at the ocean but will make up for it the following week with two posts.
From SJ:
Are these cookies, cookie bars, cake, blondies? Whatever they are, these fudgy-soft little treats remind me most of the inside of an almond croissant. They may also remind you of Italian rainbow cookies (which actually are compressed cake layers), mandel bread, almond biscotti, or nothing you’ve ever had before. In which case, I hope you like them anyway!
I knew I wanted to use almond paste in this recipe, but I wasn’t sure exactly how I wanted to incorporate it. I tried it simply cubed up and mixed in for bursts of intense almond, but I ultimately landed on melting it directly into the butter so that its flavor, sweetness, and chew are evenly distributed throughout the batter. The result is a surround-sound almond-y-ness that extract can’t replicate.
You can definitely skip the almond topping (sliced nuts, coated in egg white, then sprinkled with sugar to form a sweet and crispy shellac), but it adds a delightful crackle for not much effort.
Try these, cut into small pieces, with your late-night drinks, breakfast coffee, or 3 p.m. pick-me-up. They’re sturdy enough to transport to a picnic or potluck, and they’ll also ship well come holiday-cookie season. Double the recipe and use a 9 by 13-inch pan so that you have plenty to keep for yourself.
Fudgy Almond Cookie Cake
Makes one 8-inch square pan (about 32 pieces)
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