My sweet tooth and cookies

What's Sunday without a dessert?
I know not everybody will agree, but I get certain craving for sweets on Sunday afternoon (hm, when don't I with this sweet tooth of mine???).
One of these Sundays I was really eager to make something, last moment decision as usual, but couldn't find all ingredients for any of my favourite desserts and the shops were closed. So I took my favourite cookie cookbook in search of something I could actually make. And quickly of course.
And there, in the bars and squares section, my glance landed on these golden triangles. I went back and forward several time, until I decided it was their turn.
Ingredients were all there. Chocolate wasn't actually in the recipe, but the last little piece I had that survived my daughters' attack ended up in there.
They were done just in time for an afternoon cup of tea.
What were they like? A bit on a dry side, which makes them perfect to go with a cup of tea or coffee. And then they have such a fine and delicate crumb due to cornmeal and almonds. And finally, the refreshing lemon juice you feel inside with each bite, contrasting the sweetness.
And this is not the last of cookie series on my blog. Starting on Friday (1st October) and the following 12 weeks I'll be taking part in 12 weeks of Christmas cookies started by April from Abby Sweets. Stay tuned ^__^

Cornmeal and Almond Triangles


100 g cornmeal
100 g AP flour
125 g butter
100 g sugar
150 g finely ground almonds
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 lemon (juice and grated zest)
a pinch of salt
about 30 g dark chocolate (optional), finely chopped
+
20 g chopped almonds
2-3 TBspoons caster sugar

Turn your oven on to 180°C and grease a 23 cm round springform (or use a silicon one, like I did, without greasing it).
Sift both types of flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the chopped butter (previously left at room temperature for about 1/2 an hour). Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips or using a pastry cutter.
Now stir in the sugar and the ground almonds to this crumbly mixture. Gradually add the lightly beaten egg yolks, the almond extract, freshly squeezed lemon juice, the finely grated lemon zest, and the finely chopped chocolate if you decide to use it.
Bring all the ingredients together, kneading lightly to get a very soft, homogeneous dough.
Press the dough into a prepared pan in an even layer.
With a knife, impress the lines in surface (2-3 mm) to divide the cake into triangles (half> quarters > divide each quarter in 3-4 equal parts).
Sprinkle the surface generously with sugar and chopped almonds.



Bake the cake for 15-20 minutes, then lower the heat to 150°C and bake until it's nicely golden and firm.
Open the spring form, and cut the triangles all the way through (use a long sharp knife) while warm. Let cool completely before trying to separate the triangles because they're very delicate while warm.
Keep stored in an airtight container. I made them last week and they are still wonderful, taste even better.



Spicchi al mais e alle mandorle
(adattato da Il libro d'oro dei biscotti)


100 g di farina bianca
100 g di farina gialla di mais fine
125 g di burro
100 g di zucchero
150 g di mandorle macinate finemente
2 tuorli (leggermente sbattuti)
1/2 cucchiaino di estratto di mandorle
1 limone (succo e scorza grattugiata)
1 pizzico di sale
circa 30 g di cioccolato fondente (optional), trittato grossolanamente
+
20 g di mandorle trittate
2-3 cucchiai di zucchero semolato


Accendete il forno a 180°C e imburate uno stampo a cerniera di 23 cm.
Setacciate le due farine con un pizzico di sale in una terrina media.
Aggiungete il burro ammorbidito (lasciato fuori dal frigo per una mezz'oretta) e strofinate con le dita per ottenere un composto granuloso.
Unite lo zucchero e le mandorle macinate, e poi anche i tuorli, l'estratto di mandorle, il succo e la scorza grattugiata di limone, e il cioccolato.
Incorporate e impastate bene tutti gli ingredienti usando un cucchiaio di legno o con le mani fino a ottenere una pasta soda.
Trasferite la pasta nella teglia preparata e comprimetela per formare uno strato uniforme e liscio.
Con un coltello affilato tracciate delle linee che dividino la pasta in spicchi (prima a metà > in quarti > e poi dividete ogni quarto in 3-4 spicchi).
Cospargete la superficie con lo zucchero e le mandorle tritate.
Fate cuocere per circa 15-20 minuti, poi abbassate la temperatura a 150°C e cuocete finché il dolce sarà dorato e consistente al tatto.
Toglietelo dal forno, aprite lo stampo e tagliate i spicchi lungo le linee segnate mentre il dolce è ancora caldo. Lasciate però raffreddare completamente prima di rimuovere i spicchi.
Si conservano a lungo in una scattola di latta.




U zadnji tren prijavljujem svoju ulaznicu za ovomjesečni krug igre Ajme koliko nas je, koju je pokrenula Monsoon s bloga Dalmacija Down Under, a ovaj mjesec je Mihaela odabrala temu: KUKURUZ.

Prhki trokutići s kukuruznim brašnom i bademima


100 g pšeničnog brašna
100 g kukuruznog brašna
125 g maslaca
100 g šećera
150 g mljevenih badema
2 žumanjka (malo razmućena)
1/2 žličice ekstrakta badema
1 limun (naribana korica i sok)
prstohvat soli
30-ak g tamne čokolade (može i bez)
+ 
20 g sitno nasjeckanih badema
2-3 žlice šećera


Zagrijte pećnicu na 180°C i namažite maslacem okrugli kalup promjera 23 cm (kalup s prstenom za torte, ili ako imate niski silikonski kalup, kao ja, nije potrebno ni mazati ga maslacem).
Prosijte obje vrste brašna s prstohvatom soli. Dadajte maslac sobne temperature (ostavite ga izvan hladnjaka pola sata) narezan na kockice ili listiće. Utrljajte maslac u brašno da dobijete mrvice.
Umiješajte u smjesu brašna i maslaca šećer i mljevene bademe. Dodajte zatim malo razmućene žumanjke, ekstrakt badema, limunov sok i sitno naribanu koricu. Ja sam dodala još i 30-ak grama sitno nasjeckane tamne čokolade. Izmijesite sve dobro rukama da dobijete glatko i mekano tijesto.
Stavite tijesto u pripremljen kalup i rasporedite ga u jednoličnom sloju.
Nožem zarežite trokutove na površini – oko 2-3 mm – (podijelite prvo na pola, na četvrtine, i na kraju svaku četvrtinu na tri ili četiri jednaka dijela). Pospite cijelu površinu obilno šećerom i sitno nasjeckanim bademima.
Pecite kolač 15-20 minuta. Smanjite temperaturu na 150°C pa pecite još dodatnih 10-15 minuta ili dok kolač ne poprimi zlatno žutu boju i čvrst je na dodir.
Izvadite iz pećnice i dok je kolač još topao i u kalupu (možete skinuti prsten) izrežite do kraja trokutove po zacrtanim crtama, ali ne vadite ga dok se potpuno ne ohladi jer je tijesto jako prhko dok je toplo i raspadat će se. Kad je kolač hladan, pohranite trokutiće u metalnu kutiju.