Almond Lace Cookies

 Almond Lace Cookies filled with chocolate mousse.      

      My mother never used a belt on us when we misbehaved, nor a wooden spoon, nor a switch as she was no witch, but something of an angelic mother.  But she did use the broomstick alright – to delight us!  This unusual un-dough looking batter, when baked and still warm was draped over a broom stick and allowed to harden into a lacey cup. 

       The almond studded crisp that resulted was a subject of wonderment – “how did she make them do that?”  In my own kitchen, they don’t always do that.  Sometimes they lay flat, at times are crumbled as a praline-type topping or pressed gently while warm into a muffin cup, or when a chocolate mousse filling is available, hung on a broomstick to create the obliging cup.  (See an easy mousse recipe below.)  My son’s favorite cookie, I mailed them to him as a treat when he was away – the received product was a lacy crumble.  From mother to son, this jeweled cookie I call Almond Lace, in any form would taste as divine!

                         Drop batter by teaspoonsful on buttered and floured cookie sheet-

                  Remove cookies from oven when they have spread and are golden around edges-

                                  Allow cookies to cool flat or draped over 1-2 inch dowel-

                               
Almond Lace Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tab. cream
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small saucepan, mash and stir the butter with the sugar and cream over moderate heat until butter has melted.  Remove from heat and beat in the flour, then the almonds.  Drop by full teaspoons, spaced 4 inches apart, on lightly buttered and floured baking sheets, 4 - 6 to a sheet.  Bake one sheet at a time in middle level of preheated oven for about 5 minutes, until cookies have spread and begin to brown lightly around the edges.  (Watch them closely as they burn quickly.)

-Remove from oven and cool just a minute, until they are just   firm enough to be removed with a flexible metal spatula, but are soft enough to droop.  Then rapidly lift off, one by one and lay over a broom handle or wooden spoon handle, 1 - 2 inches in diameter (balanced between 2 chairs) to crisp into a curved shape - takes a few minutes.

-Alternately, place warm cookies on a cooling rack and allow to cool.  Serve as flat round discs or dip half the cooled cookies in melted chocolate and allow the chocolate to harden on a cookie rack before serving.  Makes about 16 cookies.

 Almond Lace Cookies filled with chocolate mousse.

PERSNICKETY  NOTES:
**If using just one cookie sheet, be sure to wash it off between each batch and 
    re-butter and re-flour sheet.

**When you try to remove the cookies from the sheet, gently try with a thin, 
    metal spatula....there is a specific time when the cookies are ready to leave
    the pan....if they jumble into a mess, wait another minute and try again.
    However, if you wait too long, they don't want to leave the pan at all and will
    be difficult to remove.  Waiting 5 minutes from the time you remove them
    from the oven is usually just right!

    Chocolate Mousse:

                ½ cup butter, softened               6 oz. semisweet chocolate

                3 egg yolks                                       1 oz. unsweetened chocolate

                3 egg whites                                    2/3 cup heavy cream

                ½ cup sugar                                    1 tab. vanilla extract

    -Melt chocolate in small saucepan. Stir in butter until melted. Let cool 10

          minutes.

    -Beat chocolate mixture and egg yolks in small bowl on high speed for 5

          minutes. Refrigerate, covered for 10 minutes.

    -In separate mixing bowl, beat 3 egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat in

          ½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until stiff and glossy.

    -Fold egg white mixture carefully into chocolate mixture.

    -Allow mixture to set for 15 minutes in the refrigerator. 

    -Whip cream and add vanilla.  Stir gently into chocolate mixture.  Chill

          until set.