Sarah Bernhardt Cookies
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 1/4 pound almond paste
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg white
- 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
- Pinch of salt
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
- Make filling: In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Combine the sugar and the water in a small saucepan, and simmer until clear, about 5 minutes.
- Place egg yolks in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, and whisk until warm to the touch, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer bowl to the mixer stand fitted with the whisk attachment; with machine on medium, beat in hot sugar syrup.
- Raise speed to high, and continue beating until cool and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce speed to medium; gradually beat in chocolate until fully combined, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
- Refrigerate until firm and cold, about 1 hour (or up to 1 week).
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat (such as Silpat).
- Make cookies: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat almond paste and sugar on medium speed until smooth.
- Add egg white, almond extract, and salt, and beat to combine.
- Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip (such as Ateco #12).
- Pipe 1-inch cookies onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between cookies.
- Bake until firm and golden around edges, about 12 minutes, rotating halfway through.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 week.)
- Place cookies flat side down on a cooling rack.
- Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip (such as Ateco #11), and pipe a peaked mound on top of each cookie.
- Transfer to freezer until very firm, about 1 hour.
- Make coating: In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate.
- Stir in the shortening.
- Cool until barely warm.
- Remove cookies from freezer.
- Working quickly so the filling doesnt melt, use a chocolate fork to hold cookie above bowl of chocolate, and spoon melted chocolate over cookie.
- Place, filling side up, on cooling rack set over a baking sheet.
- Cookies can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 4 days.
semisweet chocolate, sugar, water, egg yolks, almond paste, sugar, egg white, almond, salt, chocolate, vegetable shortening
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sarah-bernhardt-cookies-389237 (may not work)