Tag Archives: almonds

PRALINE BACON BITES

Posted on by
  • ½ pound of slab bacon sliced ¼ inch thick slices
  • 2 T. corn syrup – light or dark
  • 1 T. maple syrup
  • 4 pitted dates
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup marcona almonds
  • 1/8 t. cayenne pepper

Cut bacon slices into pieces approximately 1-1/2 inch x 1 inch.  Place on a roasting rack over a sheet pan and spray with a non-stick spray.  Place bacon on rack and bake in 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until bacon is 80% cooked.  Remove from oven and carefully place bacon pieces on a paper towel.  In a small bowl combine syrups.  Drizzle or brush over bacon pieces.  In the bowl of food processor combine/pulverize dates, brown sugar, almonds and cayenne.  Place ½ t. of this topping on each piece of glazed bacon.  Return to oven to bake an additional 10 minutes.  BE SURE TO WATCH SO THEY DON’T BURN.  Remove from oven and drain on paper towel.  Serve when cool to the touch or room temperature.

ZUCCOTTO FROM TOM PARACHINI

Posted on by

  • 2 oz. shelled unskinned almonds

  • 2 oz. shelled whole filberts (hazelnuts)

  • 1  10-12 oz pound cake

  • 3 t. cognac

  • 2 T. maraschino liqueur

  • 2 T. cointrau

  • 5 oz. semi sweet chocolate bits

  • 2 cups whipping cream

  • ¾ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Drop almonds in boiling water and skin.  Place on baking sheet and put in oven 2 minutes to dry.  Remove and chop.  Put filberts in oven for 5 minutes.  Chop roughly. Reset oven to 250 degrees.  Get a 1 ½ qt. bowl and line it with damp cheesecloth. Cut pound cake into 3/8 inch slices.
Cut each slice on the diagonal.
Moisten each section with sprinkles of cordials and place inside bowl
with narrowest end at the bottom.  Have crust side meet non crust.  Whip cream
with sugar.  Mix in almonds, filberts, and 3 oz of chocolate chopped.  Divide in
half.  Spoon half into bowl.  Melt 2 oz. chocolate.  Fold into remaining cream.  Spoon into bowl.  Seal top of bowl with remaining cake.  Cover with plastic crap and chill for one or two days.