Almond biscuit - a cake made from eggs and powdered almond kernels. There are many recipes that can be used to bake a wide variety of confectionery products: muffins, rolls, pastries, cakes. Delicate dough requires special skill and attention. It is important to consider all the little things, from choosing the right food to keeping the temperature in the oven.
Almond biscuits: what they are
Confectioners divide this type of dough into 3 groups. The first consists of biscuits made from a mixture of maca, almond crumbs, sugar and eggs. The second includes cakes prepared with the addition of a small amount of high-quality butter. The third category includes biscuits baked exclusively with proteins.
A properly baked crust should be light, soft, but not loose. It rises evenly, without potholes or humps. Delicate dough requires patience - the eggs are beaten for a long time so that the mass is saturated with oxygen, the cake is placed in an oven preheated to 170 degrees. Sudden temperature changes and any jolts are undesirable; it is not recommended to open the oven door during baking. After baking, the product is immediately removed from the mold and laid out on a wire rack to cool. So that the cake is not dry, the biscuit is soaked in syrup, but this can be done only a few hours after baking. If the cake is soaked while it is still warm, it will fall apart during assembly.
Ingredients can include both whole eggs and proteins. A little trick from professional pastry chefs - they prefer to buy bottled product, which can always be found in restaurateur stores. It is convenient to measure whites, yolks or melange (protein-yolk mixture) in grams, precisely keeping the recipe. You can also use this technique at home.
Almond flour can be bought ready-made, but more often it is prepared independently by grinding the kernels in a coffee mill or grinding them with a blender. The proportions depend on the specific recipe. The more almond flour in the dough, the more airy and fragile the biscuit will be. Regular flour should be of the highest quality and finest possible.
Almond biscuit can become the basis for a cake, it goes well with any creams: protein, custard, creamy. But often the cakes are simply sprinkled with powdered sugar so as not to interrupt the delicate nutty taste.
Classic dacquoise: a step-by-step recipe
One of the most delicious options for almond cake, which is often prepared in pastry shops. A properly baked biscuit turns out to be soft inside, with a slightly crunchy crust that does not get soaked after applying the cream. The calorie content is high, the cake turns out to be very satisfying, so it is cut into small portions.
Ingredients:
- 100 g ground almonds (almond flour);
- 30 g of premium wheat flour;
- 60 g icing sugar;
- 160 g of egg whites;
- 125 g caster sugar.
Sift wheat and almond flour into a deep bowl, add powdered sugar. Mix everything thoroughly with a whisk. Beat the whites in a separate container. The mixer will help speed up the process, which first turn on at the minimum speed, and when small bubbles form around the edges of the bowl, increase the number of revolutions.
The whites beat until soft, unstable peaks form. Then fine sugar is poured into them in a thin stream and the meringue is brought to density and smoothness. When turning the container, the protein mass should not flow out. Add the flour-sugar mixture to a bowl with meringue in portions, stirring gently with a spatula. You cannot rub the dough intensively, otherwise the biscuit will turn out to be firm and flat.
Place the dough in a pastry bag. Draw a circle or rectangle of the desired size on a sheet of parchment paper. Squeeze out the mass in a spiral, moving from the center to the edge and observing the evenness of pressing. Some people prefer to use split ring forms to distribute the mixture as accurately as possible. If dough remains in the bag after filling the mold, you can make several small round cakes.
Sprinkle the cakes with powdered sugar from a strainer, leave them for 10-15 minutes. Bake in an oven preheated to 170 degrees. Depending on the size, the cake should remain in the oven for 15-20 minutes. When the products are browned, and a golden sugar crust forms on the surface, take out the cakes, put them together with parchment on the wire rack and cool completely.
Airy almond biscuit: step by step
Another option for baking with almond flour is a delicate biscuit, sometimes called chiffon. Its secret is the use of cornstarch, which gives the dough a special consistency.
Ingredients:
- 150 g egg yolks;
- 150 g protein;
- 250 g caster sugar;
- 65 g almond flour;
- 85 g corn starch;
- 85 g wheat flour;
- 30 ml warm water;
- 1 tsp baking powder;
- 65 g of refined vegetable oil;
- 1 tsp lemon peel;
- salt on the tip of a knife;
- a pinch of vanillin.
Beat the yolks with sugar (120 g) until whitening. Reduce the speed of the mixer, pour vegetable oil, water into the mixture, add vanilla and zest. Continue whisking at medium speed until the mixture thickens. Combine 2 types of flour, starch and baking powder in a separate bowl. Beat the whites with salt, add the remaining sugar. Increase the speed of the mixer and bring the protein mass to readiness (high peaks should form).
Combine the yolk mass with dry foods, adding the whipped egg whites in portions. Knead the dough very gently so that it does not fall off. Cover the bottom of the mold with parchment paper, pour out the dough, smooth the surface with a silicone spatula. Bake in an oven preheated to 170 degrees, after 40-45 minutes, check the readiness with a splinter. Put the biscuit out of the mold, refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
