Bake Sale for Japan and Almond Cookie Cup

This Saturday, April 2, 2011,  a simultaneous national bake sale will be taking place to raise money to help with relief efforts in Japan via Peace Winds Japan.

Amateur and professional bakers, artists, artisans, and musicians will be participating in the event.  If you are interested in attending or volunteering at a location near you, please visit bakesaleforjapan.com for a list of locations in the U.S.

Since I am in Brooklyn, I’ll be at the Brooklyn Flea manning a bake sale table in the afternoon.  🙂    By the time I had heard of the event, they had all the baked goods taken care of — a lot of local bakeries and restaurants in the area are donating the tasty goodies.  I’m looking forward to it!

Though I am not baking this weekend, I thought it would be appropriate to share a lovely kid-friendly and functional baked good — an almond cookie that is a snap to make.

All you do is mix the batter ingredients together, spoon into circles on parchment and bake, mold cookies onto inverted custard cups when they are still warm and pliable.  When cooled the resultant cookies are wonderfully crispy, nutty, and sweet dessert bowls to hold ice cream, sorbet, fruit and whipped cream… whatever you can think of!

I used this recipe, but cut it in half to make 6 servings.

Almond Cookie Dessert Cups

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sliced almonds, finely chopped

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl combine the flour and almonds. Set aside.
4. In a medium  saucepan bring the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter to a full boil over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in flour mixture and vanilla.
5. For each cookie cup, drop about tablespoons of batter about 5 inches apart onto the cookie sheet (bake 3 or 4 at a time).
6. Bake in for 10-12 minutes or until bubbly and deep golden brown (cookies will form irregular shapes).
7. Let stand on cookie sheet about 2 minutes. When cookies are firm, but still pliable, place them on inverted custard cups to form small bowls. Cool to room temperature.  Cookies will harden as they cool.
8. To serve, fill the cups with ice cream or other sweet treat.

Makes 6 large dessert cups.