Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Almonds

Hi, all you wonderful SMS’ers!  It’s Elyse here.  Our fearless and fabulous leader Lorelei (of Mermaid Sweets) may or may not be rockin’ and  rollin’ out on the high seas right now (okay, that’s a round-about way of saying, lucky Lorelei spent last night cruisin’ (and sleeping) on a boat!).  So, she graciously asked my land-bound self to put together this post.  Um, but of course!  (I’d like to throw out a quick thanks to Lorelei.  Week after week, she makes this awesome baking group come alive.  Thanks to her master coordination skills (and slight anal retentiveness), we all get to participate in this wonderful group.  So, thanks, Lorelei, for making all this happen.  And thanks SMS’ers; getting to read your blogs each week is truly a pleasure.)

 

Melissa's first copy of her own book!

As you all know, this is a super special week for Sweet Melissa Sundays.  We have been steadily baking our way through the wonderful Sweet Melissa Baking Book, and now we get to reap a super sweet reward for our diligent baking.  You see, we have a celebrity in our midst!  That’s right: Melissa herself–THE Melissa–chose this week’s recipe.  Melissa, thank you so much for taking the time from your busy schedule to select this week’s recipe and to bake along with us.  We can’t rave enough about your book: your recipes are fabulous and heart-felt–not to mention, they all yield divine treats.  It is such an honor to have you baking along with our group!  We hope you’ll come back to bake with us often!  And now, onto the delectable Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Almonds (p.58)…after a few words from baker extraordinaire, Melissa Murphy!   ~Elyse, Confectionary Creations

It is thrilling for me to have you all blogging about my book,  I feel so honored!   However, when Lorelei told me you wanted me to demo the chocolate chip cookie recipe, I felt like I got off easy!!  Turns out , it was the perfect day for an easy recipe.  I spent the entire day out in the rain, and got home 6 hours later than expected. Knowing that I only needed to bake these cookies when I got home was a blessing, and something to look forward to.

At Sweet Melissa’s I usually leave out the toasted almonds, due to nut allergies, and I miss them everytime I do.

I think it must be impossible to over-toast the almonds, for as soon as you say “mmmm, that smells so good, what is that?”  It’s time to pull them from the oven.   The toasty aroma sets the mood for the yumminess to come.

I like to use callebaut semi sweet pistoles (#835) for my cookies. 

These make fantastic ice cream sandwiches!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Almonds, p.58

Makes 24 Cookies

1/2 cup whole natural almonds, toasted (See below)

10 TBS unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 2/3 cups AP flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz. best-quality semisweet (58%) chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks

Before you start

Position a rack in the center of your oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

(1) Roughly chop the almonds into large pieces.

Coarsely chopped almonds...

(2) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the egg and beat for another minute.

Creamed butter, sugars, and egg...

(3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

(4) With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing until no flour is visible after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

(5) Remove the bowl from the mixer.  Stir in the almonds and chocolate.  Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 1 hour.  (If you’re really impatient or hungry, spread out the dough on a tray or cookie sheet, lay a sheet of plastic wrap flush against the surface of the dough, and freeze so it chills up fast.)

A quick freeze before "logging"...

(6) Once the dough has chilled, turn it out onto a clean work surface and divide it in half.  Roll each half into a log about 12 inches long.  Refrigerate the logs for at least 30 minutes before slicing.  (At this point, you can wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month.)

"Logging" it up...

(7) Cut the logs into 1-inch slices, and place them about 1 1/2 inches apart on each cookie sheet.  Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until the centers no longer have a glossy look of raw dough.  They should be chewy, so do not overbake.

Heading for the oven...

The magic happening...

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.  For longer storage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 weeks.  Do not uncover before defrosting.

To toast nuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread the almonds (or other nuts) in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly gold and you can smell them.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.