[Cookie 088] Wholemeal Almond Biscuits

HELLO! Wo ho te sen? I am writing from Accra, Ghana right this instant! I can't believe I've only been here 1 week, because it feels like 1 month. The past week was more than hectic, being that it was orientation week, so we didn't have a moment to breathe. I've gone to lectures, learned a little bit of Twi (the language spoken here), gone shopping (I've only just begun...), watched some traditional African drumming and dancing, went to an afrobeat concert, went to the beach, seen the local universities, and just had my first class (African Philosophical Thought) today. It's hot and humid, but not too bad. And the food...

The food.

Is so.

Good.

I think I can get used to this. Jollof rice, yum yum, banku, yum yum, fufu (haven't had it yet, but I can't wait), and plantains!! And get this: they sell shots of alcohol in packets like ketchup. Uh, yes. I got some/a lot. Cane Spirit! Coffee-flavored Whiskey! Gin! Haven't tried that coffee or cane stuff yet, but you just wait. I'll report back. Oh, and listen to this great idea that one of my esteemed colleagues came up with: buy a coconut on the street, pour a packet of gin into the coconut water, and then stick in a straw and DONE. After-school special. Ah, yes, I could so get used to this.

One thing that will make this whole blog thing a little difficult is the fact that the internet connection here is hardly adequate. Whatever--I'll do something else, like READ. Whoa. Or maybe draw. I think it will be good for me, build character. I'm too dependent on this computer here. Maybe I'll start basket weaving, which I'm going to be learning in one of my art classes (!!!!).

This huge culture shock and overwhelming week of change makes writing this post a little weird. Thinking about these cookies, and what I was doing during the time I made them, seems like eons (and miles) ago. I'd usually try to make my initial anecdote somehow relate to the cookie in question, but I don't think I can do it this time. These Wholemeal Almond Biscuits just don't scream Ghana at all. Well, they are sort of like Hobnobs, which are these amazing cookies that probably aren't from Ghana only, but still--SO good. But more than that, to me they scream English tea time, so maybe you could make the whole British colonization connection, but I really don't feel like getting into that....at all.

So let's just talk straight about these cookies. They are very subtle in flavor, not sweet at all really. They do have a really nice cinnamon undertone, though, along with the flavor of almonds and whole wheat flavor, which I really loved. Their name is a really accurate description of what kind of cookie you get--a biscuit, wheaty and nutty. They are hearty and great with tea, or maybe with a bit of whipped cream/clotted cream and some berries for a fancy tea-time treat.

Once again, the recipe has you make your own almond meal, and this time I actually did that instead of substituting store bought almond meal. Good choice! The recipe worked perfectly and the toasted almonds gave a great flavor to the dough. If you want, you could probably add nutmeg or some other spice, but I thought the cinnamon was just perfect.

Okay, so a great tea cookie. I think I can make a feeble connection to Ghana with this one: THEY DON'T DRINK REAL COFFEE HERE. Or at least, I've had trouble ordering anything other than Nescafe instant coffee. This makes me majorly sad. I bought some ground coffee that's made in Togo, which is awesome in theory, but doesn't taste really that great. But I'm a bit of a snob about coffee, so don't listen to me.

Aaanyway, I think that's all I've got to say about these. You should make them. Serve them with iced tea, since it's way too hot to think about boiling water in the northern hemisphere. Or hey, you could maybe make ice cream sandwiches with these--might get a bit messy though.

I actually ate mine with a cup of Tazo Honeybush tea and a small cup of cold Tapioca pudding that my dad made the night before, and it was a perfect afternoon dessert (new meal! new meal!). The tapioca might have been a little heavy to have with an already heavy cookie, but the Honeybush tea was just right--nice and light, but with a strong enough floral flavor to really be quite refreshing.

Okay, I'm going to go now. I have class soon. Aight. Bye bye. Until next time (soon I hope!)

Wholemeal Almond Biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

Directions

Pulse almonds in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add flours, sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, pour in enough water until dough just starts to come together on the sides of the bowl. Shape dough into a ball, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until cold and slightly firm, no longer than 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to an 11-inch round just more than 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 3-inch circles. Carefully gather scraps of dough, reroll, and cut out remaining biscuits. Space 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until edges are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

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{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 2/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 4/5
Tastiness: 4/5
Attractiveness: 3/5
Is it worth it?: Yes!

{Pairings}

Drink: Tazo Honeybush tea, or any other Rooibos/Redbush tea

Song: That's Where It's At -- Sam Cookie (!)
Activity: Afternoon tea, whatever country you live in. I think that activity should really transcend geography and country borders. Teatime for all!