Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Nordic Crunch Cookies
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
1 hour
40 mins
2 hours
Serves:
30 large cookies
Tom W created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 17. Inspired by the Daim bar, his cookies pack chewy almond toffee praline and milk chocolate chunks under a finish of spun dark chocolate and salted roasted peanuts. Paul Hollywood praised the crisp outside and chewy center, and Nigella La...
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Ingredients
FOR THE ALMOND PRALINE: ¾ cup (2½ oz) sliced almonds ¾ cup granulated sugar 6 Tbsp unsalted butter 2 Tbsp water ¼ tsp fine sea salt
FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH: 3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter 1½ cups packed light brown sugar ¾ cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature 2 tsp vanilla extract 3¾ cups all-purpose flour 1½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp fine sea salt 13 oz (370 g) milk chocolate, cut into chunks All of the almond praline, chopped into pea-size pieces
TO FINISH: 4½ oz (130 g) dark chocolate (60–70%), finely chopped ¾ cup salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
EQUIPMENT: Skillet Heavy saucepan Candy thermometer Silicone baking mat or parchment paper Two large baking sheets Mixing bowls Whisk Spatula #16 cookie scoop (¼ cup) Kitchen scale 4-inch round cookie cutter Wire racks Microwave-safe bowl Fork
Method
STEP 1: TOAST THE ALMONDS
Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant. Tip onto a plate. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment for the praline.
STEP 2: COOK THE PRALINE
Put the granulated sugar, butter, water and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, then clip on a candy thermometer and cook without stirring to 300°F, until the toffee is a deep golden amber.
STEP 3: SET AND CHOP THE PRALINE
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the toasted almonds, and spread the mixture thinly on the lined sheet. Leave until hard, about 15 minutes, then chop into pea-size pieces. Pieces larger than a pea can leak and burn in the oven.
STEP 4: HEAT THE OVEN AND MELT THE BUTTER
Heat the oven to 375°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment. Melt the butter for the dough over low heat, then set it aside until just warm.
STEP 5: MIX THE WET INGREDIENTS
Whisk the cooled melted butter with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar for 1 minute. Whisk in the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla extract until glossy.
STEP 6: ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS AND MIX-INS
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Fold into the wet mixture with a spatula until no dry streaks remain, then fold in the milk chocolate chunks and the chopped praline.
STEP 7: PORTION AND CHILL
Scoop 30 portions with the #16 cookie scoop, about 2½ oz (70 g) each. Weigh a few on a kitchen scale and adjust so all 30 match. Chill on a tray for 20 minutes.
STEP 8: BAKE THE FIRST ROUND
Place 7 or 8 dough balls on each lined sheet, 3 inches apart. Bake for 11–13 minutes, swapping the sheets between racks halfway, until the edges are golden and set and the centers are puffed and still soft.
STEP 9: SHAPE THE COOKIES
As soon as the sheets come out of the oven, set the 4-inch round cutter over each cookie and swirl it in small circles to pull the edge into a neat round. Do not press down; the tops should stay rough.
STEP 10: COOL AND BAKE THE SECOND ROUND
Leave the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then move them to wire racks to cool completely. Let the sheets cool, re-line them with fresh parchment, and bake and shape the remaining dough the same way.
STEP 11: MELT THE DARK CHOCOLATE
Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth.
STEP 12: SPIN THE CHOCOLATE AND ADD THE PEANUTS
Dip a fork in the melted chocolate and flick it back and forth over the cooled cookies to spin fine threads across the tops. While the chocolate is still wet, scatter the chopped peanuts over each cookie. Leave to set for 15 minutes. Store in an airtight tin for up to 3 days; the cookies are crispest on the day they are baked.
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Instructions
FOR THE ALMOND PRALINE:
¾ cup (2½ oz) sliced almonds
(/interesting-ingredients/flaked-almonds)¾ cup granulated sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp water
¼ tsp fine sea salt
FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH:
3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
(/interesting-ingredients/light-brown-sugar)¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
(/interesting-ingredients/vanilla-extract)3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
13 oz (370 g) milk chocolate,(/interesting-ingredients/milk-chocolate) cut into chunks
All of the almond praline, chopped into pea-size pieces
TO FINISH:
4½ oz (130 g) dark chocolate (60–70%), finely chopped
¾ cup salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
EQUIPMENT:
Skillet
Heavy saucepan
Candy thermometer
Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
Two large baking sheets
Mixing bowls
Whisk
Spatula
#16 cookie scoop (¼ cup)
Kitchen scale
4-inch round cookie cutter
Wire racks
Microwave-safe bowl
Fork
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: TOAST THE ALMONDS
Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant. Tip onto a plate. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment for the praline.
STEP 2: COOK THE PRALINE
Put the granulated sugar, butter, water and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, then clip on a candy thermometer and cook without stirring to 300°F, until the toffee is a deep golden amber.
STEP 3: SET AND CHOP THE PRALINE
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the toasted almonds, and spread the mixture thinly on the lined sheet. Leave until hard, about 15 minutes, then chop into pea-size pieces. Pieces larger than a pea can leak and burn in the oven.
STEP 4: HEAT THE OVEN AND MELT THE BUTTER
Heat the oven to 375°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment. Melt the butter for the dough over low heat, then set it aside until just warm.
STEP 5: MIX THE WET INGREDIENTS
Whisk the cooled melted butter with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar for 1 minute. Whisk in the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla extract until glossy.
STEP 6: ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS AND MIX-INS
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Fold into the wet mixture with a spatula until no dry streaks remain, then fold in the milk chocolate chunks and the chopped praline.
STEP 7: PORTION AND CHILL
Scoop 30 portions with the #16 cookie scoop, about 2½ oz (70 g) each. Weigh a few on a kitchen scale and adjust so all 30 match. Chill on a tray for 20 minutes.
STEP 8: BAKE THE FIRST ROUND
Place 7 or 8 dough balls on each lined sheet, 3 inches apart. Bake for 11–13 minutes, swapping the sheets between racks halfway, until the edges are golden and set and the centers are puffed and still soft.
STEP 9: SHAPE THE COOKIES
As soon as the sheets come out of the oven, set the 4-inch round cutter over each cookie and swirl it in small circles to pull the edge into a neat round. Do not press down; the tops should stay rough.
STEP 10: COOL AND BAKE THE SECOND ROUND
Leave the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then move them to wire racks to cool completely. Let the sheets cool, re-line them with fresh parchment, and bake and shape the remaining dough the same way.
STEP 11: MELT THE DARK CHOCOLATE
Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth.
STEP 12: SPIN THE CHOCOLATE AND ADD THE PEANUTS
Dip a fork in the melted chocolate and flick it back and forth over the cooled cookies to spin fine threads across the tops. While the chocolate is still wet, scatter the chopped peanuts over each cookie. Leave to set for 15 minutes. Store in an airtight tin for up to 3 days; the cookies are crispest on the day they are baked.
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