Bears Paws biscuits
Bears roam wild in the Czech Republic and they are the inspiration for this recipe. The chocolate, almonds and cinnamon give these biscuits a delightful taste. Kids can do much of the preparation and they will love dipping the biscuits in the warm melted chocolate.
75g /3oz dark chocolate
75g /3oz white chocolate
100g / 4oz ground almonds
75g / 3oz caster sugar
2 egg whites
1 lemon
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
25g / 1oz caster sugar (coating)
PREPARATION TIME: 25 minutesFinely chop or grate the dark chocolate.
We cheated and used a food blender.
Grate the rind of the lemon. Only lightly grate the surface to remove the "zest"
of the lemon surface.
Turn the oven on now to Fan 150°C / 170°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 3. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Chopped dark chocolate
Add the dark chocolate, grated lemon rind, ground almonds and cinnamon to largish bowl and mix the ingredients with a spoon.
Whisk the egg whites until they turn stiff.
Mixing ingredients
Add the 75g of sugar to the whisked eggs, a tablespoon at a time, while continuing to whisk the mixture.
Add the chocolate mixture into the egg whites and stir in well.
Whisked egg whites
Take a small amount of the mixture, a tablespoons worth, and coat it in some of the remaining sugar. As you coat it, roll it roughly into a ball. Gently press it into a tablespoon to form a paw shape.
Before baking
Bake the biscuits in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and place them on a wire rack to cool. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl placed in hot water.
Dip the cooked biscuits in the warm chocolate. The chocolate can take some time to solidify, so if you are in a hurry put them in the fridge for 20 minutes.