CHOCOLATE KISSES

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Chocolate Kisses image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Cookie Recipes

Yield Makes 24 filled cookies

Number Of Ingredients 6

6 1/4 ounces blanched almonds (to yield 1 1/2 cups ground)
1 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for grinding almonds
2 large egg whites
6 tablespoons Valrhona cocoa powder, sifted
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
6 tablespoons heavy cream

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place almonds in the bowl of a food processor, add 1 tablespoon of sugar to absorb the oil generated by the nuts, and grind until medium fine.
  • Place egg whites in the clean bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high speed, using the whisk attachment, until egg whites are stiff. Add the remaining sugar slowly; continue beating until egg whites are very thick, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Beat in cocoa until combined. Fold in almonds, and mix until completely blended.The batter should be quite thick and sticky.
  • Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper. Dampen hands, and shape about 1 heaping teaspoonful of dough into a 1-inch ball. Pinch the ball with your fingers to form a teardrop shape, and place on baking sheet. Continue process, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart, until all the dough is used.
  • Bake until cookies are slightly cracked and soft but slightly firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheet for several minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
  • Place chocolate in a mixing bowl. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Pour over chocolate, and let stand; stir until all the chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool until thick yet pipeable. The ganache should be the consistency of toothpaste. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #11 round pastry tip with the ganache. Pipe about 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate onto the flat side of a cooled cookie, and place another cookie on top. Press together gently so chocolate oozes out slightly. Return cookie to rack, and let chocolate harden. Repeat process with remaining cookies.

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