I am quite picky when it comes to biscuits/cookies. I love chocolate chip cookies . . . but my chocolate chip cookies have to be crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle . . . and have lotsa chocolate chips in them. I also love raisins and nuts in mine, although I know not everyone does. My molasses cookies have to be soft and puffy. Oatmeal cookies . . . crisp, crisp, crisp. Not all cookies are alike and not all cookies are appreciated for the same reasons.
I have to say I quite simply adore those little buttery spiced almond thins that come in the packs of Belgian Biscuits. Those packs of biscuits are quite expensive however and only a rare treat. There are lots of delicious choccie choices in the pack . . . but only a few almond thins. You can get packs of almond thins alone . . . but again they are very expensive when compared to other biscuits.
I have been on a quest to find a recipe that will replicate closely those very biscuits and I think I may have found it. This is my favorite of all the ones I have tried. I found it on the Martha Stewart page, and have adapted it here.
It's not overly fiddly . . . you simply pack the dough into mini loaf tins and then freeze. Once the dough is frozen you cut it into thin slices, freeze again and then back. Simple. Here are my hints for success. First of all use a really REALLY sharp knife. That is the only way you will get nice thin slices. I used my carving knife. Don't be tempted to short cut any of the steps. When it says frozen it means frozen. There is a lot of butter in this and you want them really cold when you bake them.
Watch them very carefully as they are so thin, that they will burn rather quickly. There is a very fine line beween done and over done. They might seem fiddly, but really once the dough is made and frozen, they're as simple as slicing, sprinkling with the almonds and baking. These are moreishly addictive. Crisp, buttery and quite, quite delicious!
*Dutch Almond Thins*Makes 6 dozenPrintable Recipe
Thin, crisp and nicely spiced. These go down great with a nice hot cuppa. Moreishly delicious!
420g of plain flour (3 cups)1 tsp bicarbonate of soda1/4 tsp salt250g of unsalted butter (1 cup), at room temperature300g of soft dark brown sugar (1 1/2 cups packed)2 large free range eggs2 tsp ground cinnamon1 1/2 tsp ground ginger1/2 tsp ground nutmeg1/4 tsp ground clovespinch ground cardamom45g of sliced blanched almonds (1/4 cup)
Line two mini loaf tins with some plastic cling film and set aside. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Beat the butter together with the brown sugar in another bowl on medium speed with an electric mixer for about 4 minutes, until light and creamy. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs and spices. Beat in the flour, making three additions, until all incorporated. Press the cookie dough into the mini loaf tins and cover tightly with the plastic cling film. Freeze for at least one and a half hours or up to 1 month.
When you are ready to bake them, preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F. gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with some nonstick baking paper. Set aside.
Remove the dough from one pan. Allow to soften slightly. Using a very sharp knife, cut eight 1/8th inch thick slices from the loaf. Recover the dough and return to the freezer, until ready to slice and bake more. Place the slices 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Top each slice with 2 to 3 almond slices. Freeze until firm. Bake until dark golden brown, from 7 to 10 minutes. (Watch diligently, as they can burn really quickly if you aren't careful.)
Place the baking sheet onto a wire rack and let cool. Remove and store in an airtight container. Repeat until you have baked all that you require.
