Trader Joe’s… Whenever I walk in one I’m so overwhelmed! There’s always tons of people and all the aisles are close together. But Trader Joe’s has such a following, and some people swear by their products. I think they have great produce, but I’ve never found anything that I can’t live without. Do you buy anything special at Trader Joe’s? I’d love to know! (For those of you unfamiliar, Trader Joe’s is a grocery store in the Midwest and a few stores on the East Coast.)
Have you ever seen these cookies at Trader Joe’s? I think they’re just called Chocolate Almond Horns. They looked so crunchy with the perfect amount of chocolate. I put them in my cart, but then I convinced myself that I didn’t need them. But, like most times, I recreated them at home! Yay!
Believe it or not, Trader Joe’s did not invent these cookies (shocking, I’m sure). The technical name is Mandelhörnchen – this just means ‘almond horn/crescent’ in German. Just don’t ask me how to pronounce that. This German cookie is apparently a classic at any German bakery. I’ve only been to Italian bakeries, but now I’m curious if I can find a German bakery in the Cleveland area!
One word of caution: If you don’t like almond paste or marzipan, you might want to steer clear of this recipe! I love love love almond flavoring and I could put it in all my baked goods and die happy.
While these cookies are traditionally called almond horns, I also coated some in pistachios too! It’s not necessary, but I would recommend it if you have them.
It is a bit hard to roll and coat the cookies. I would suggest:
- Wetting your hands before rolling the cookies (then the dough won’t stick).
- Grounding the almonds and pistachios up coarsely (they’ll stick better).
- Molding them in a U shape on the baking tray (the cookies are a bit fragile).
You definitely want to take the time to dip the cookies in chocolate. It is worth every extra minute.
German Almond Horn Cookies
https://northcoasteats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/almond.horn-0284.jpg
| Yield: about 16 cookies |
Chewy almond marzipan cookies, coated with slivered almonds, dipped in dark chocolate.
You'll Need...
- 7 ounces almond paste or marzipan, grated into thin pieces (it should resemble shredded cheese)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg white
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup slivered almonds and/or pistachios, broken in small pieces
- 6 ounces milk or dark chocoalte
- For Garnish: sprinkles, shredded coconut, mini chocolate chips
Directions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, place almond paste and sugar. Mix until combined well. Add egg white and salt, mix well.
- To form the cookies, place about 1 tablespoon of dough in hand. Roll into a 3 inch log. Roll and press almonds/pistachios onto dough.
- Place dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, arching each log into a U.
- Bake 10-15 minutes, until cookie and almonds are golden brown. Cool.
- Melt chocolate in a small bowl. Dip each end of cookie into the melted chocolate. Quickly sprinkle garnishes on chocolate, in desired. Allow to harden before serving,
Additional Notes
images and text © North Coast Eats
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
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