Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients : 1 cup sliced almonds, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 19 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 3 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 large eggs, beaten, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup white chocolate chips, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Preparation

Place almonds in a single layer in a dry skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer almonds to a bowl to cool. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop almonds.

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and beaters. Beat in eggs and extracts. Stir in flour mixture on low speed until combined. Stir in almonds, all chocolate chips and coconut.

Spoon dough by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets. Bake until edges are brown, 12 to 15 minutes, switching sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Source : www.myrecipes.com/recipe/almond-chocolate-chip-cookies-50400000126401/

Black Forest Cake Recipe

Ingredients : ½ cup (110 g) butter, softened, 1+¼ cup (275 g) sugar, 2 eggs, 1+¼ cup (140 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, natural, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ cup (1.8 dl) buttermilk.

Ingredients for filling : ¼ cup Kirschwasser (Kirsch/cherry brandy), optional, 2 cans (14 oz or 400 g) cherry pie filling or pitted cherries, 3 cups (7.2 dl) heavy whipping cream, chilled, ¼ cup confectioners' sugar, Milk chocolate curls or shavings, for garnish, Maraschino cherries or sweet cherries, for garnish, optional

Method : Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).Line a 9 inch (23 cm) cake pan with greaseproof or other non-stick paper.With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with sugar until white and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, mix well between each egg. Add sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and buttermilk, and mix until the batter is smooth. Transfer to a cake pan and bake at 350 degrees just until set in the middle, approximately 45-60 minutes. A wooden pick inserted in center should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Do not over-bake!

When cake is cool, use a long serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. It is easier to cut if kept in a refrigerator for a few hours before cutting.

Filling : Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.Beat the whipping cream with confectioners' sugar until it thickens.Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until the cake is assembled.

Assembling : Sprinkle each layer of the cake with Kirschwasser.Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
Spread about one fifth of the whipped cream on the layer, and strew half of the cherries on top of the whipped cream.Add the second cake layer.Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on the second layer and the remaining cherries on top.Add the third cake layer.Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on top and one fifth on the sides. Gently press chocolate curls on the sides and/or on top of the cake.

Source : www.cacaoweb.net/blackforestcake.html