CHOCOLATE AMARETTI CAKE
- Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup (about 2 ounces) baby amaretti cookies
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (from approximately 1 orange)
- 4 large eggs
- About 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, for sifting
Instructions:
Amaretti is strictly translated as “little bitters,” but colloquially it refers to light, airy, crunchy, dome-shaped almond cookies. The cookies are great on their own, but I also love them as an ingredient in a cake; the soft cake batter and the crunchy cookie provide a wonderful contrast. So when you can’t decide whether to have cookies or cake, just have both.
- Preheat The Oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray and refrigerate. In a small bowl, microwave the chocolate chips, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- In a food processor, combine the almonds and cookies, and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl. Add the butter, sugar, and orange zest to the processor and blend until creamy and smooth. With the machine running, add the eggs one at a time. Add the nut mixture and the melted chocolate. Pulse until blended.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the center puffs and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter, sift the cocoa powder over, and serve.