Venezuelan-born Elsa Elena Escobar loves to share her tradition as a result of the mouth watering recipes she creates. In 2018, she shared her recipe with us for mochachino almond Christmas log cookies, which come about to be gluten-cost-free.
Mochachino almond Christmas log
Will make 24 cookies
For the cookie:
3½ cups almond flour or almond meal
1 cup granulated white sugar
3 huge egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon boiling h2o
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon Khalua, eggnog or any liquor you like. (Can substitute it for 1 tablespoon of any fruit jam or jelly of your desire)
For the decoration:
1 egg white, somewhat crushed with a fork
Pinch of salt
1½ cups sliced almonds, placed in a pie plate
Pink candied cherries, cut in 50 percent
Green candied cherries, reduce in fourths
Powdered sugar for dusting the cookies following baking
1. For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a smaller bowl, dissolve the instant espresso powder and the cocoa powder with the tablespoon of boiling water. Add the almond extract and the liquor, if making use of, to the combination.
3. Incorporate the almond flour and ½ cup of the sugar in a medium bowl. Established aside.
4. In a big mixing bowl, working with an electric powered mixer, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt right up until tender peaks are shaped. Increase the remaining ½ cup of sugar and retain beating for 1 minute. Incorporate the coffee and cocoa mixture.
5. Increase the flour and sugar combination to the egg white mixture and fold meticulously until very well blended and a sticky dough is shaped.
6. Divide the dough into 24 balls. Roll each individual ball into a log and position on prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. You will have 24 logs on the baking sheets. (To roll the balls far more effortlessly, damp your fingers with a bit of h2o, when needed).
7. For decoration: Take every single log from the baking sheet, roll into the egg white combination 1st and then roll into the sliced almonds. Location the logs again on the baking sheet and embellish them with the red and environmentally friendly candied cherries. Push the 50 percent purple candied cherry in the middle of the log and the quarter green cherries at the sides, resembling a Xmas flower.
8. Bake the cookies for 20 minutes or right up until flippantly firm. If you choose a crispier cookie, go away in the oven for 1 or 2 minutes more.
9. Permit great 10 minutes on the baking sheets. Transfer them to a wire rack to amazing wholly. Dust the cookies with the powdered sugar.
Note: These cookies can be piped far too. Use a pastry bag with a substantial star suggestion, this kind of as the Ateco 827. The logs will be a little bit a lot more realistic due to the texture of the tip marks.
Can be saved in an airtight container for two or additional weeks at home temperature. They freeze really nicely for 2 to 3 months.