nutty

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply baking spray
• In a medium saucepan, cook the peaches, water, and golden syrup about 15 minutes at a simmer, until peaches are soft. Add corn starch and stir well to bring the liquid together. Let set a few minutes to gel.
• In a mixing bowl, combine flour, almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the butter until it forms a lumpy dough.
• Press about 2/3 of dough into the prepared pan. Use a piece of waxed paper and a heavy glass to really compress it. Spread the peach mixture on top. Add clumps of the remaining dough to sporadically cover. Sprinkle almonds on top.
• Bake for about 40 minutes, until middle is set, not jiggly, with a golden brown crust across the top. Cool completely, speeding the process in the fridge if desired. Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board to slice up. Store in a covered container, with waxed paper between the layers or with bars individually wrapped.

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• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in graham cracker crumbs and almond flour until just combined.
• Use a teaspoon scoop or teaspoon to dole out dough onto the baking sheet, spaced to allow some spreading. Place a few almond slices atop each cookie.
• Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until top is crackled. Let cookies set on baking sheet for about 10 minutes then transfer to a rack to completely cool.

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• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line 9-inch pan with foil extended up all four sides. Apply nonstick spray.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs and almond extract.
• To the mixing bowl, alternatively add the flour mixture and the ricotta. Batter will be thick.
• Pour it into the prepared pan. Level off with an uneven spatula. Sprinkle sliced almonds to cover the top.
• Bake for 33 to 38 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test.
• Cool in pan for at least 45 minutes, then use foil to lift it onto a rack to completely cool at room temperature.
• Make glaze and drizzle across the top. Let set for 30 minutes before cutting. Cake will keep at least two days at room temperature, or pieces can be individually wrapped and frozen for later.

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• Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the base of a 9-inch springform pan. Spray pan with nonstick spray, place paper cut-out inside, then spray that as well. Set aside.
• Make the frangipane. In a bowl, beat the butter until it’s creamy. Add the rest of the ingredients to combine well. Set aside.
• Make the batter. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until they are fluffy. In a stand mixer, this will be 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg followed by the extracts,
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter-batter alternatively with the milk. Scrape the bottom of the bowl often.
• Scoop about 1 cup of the batter into the pan and even out with an offset spatula. Measure out about 1 cup of the frangipane. Use two spring-loaded cookie scoops (tablespoon or teaspoon-sized, or without those, use a normal tablespoon and get your fingers dirty), scoop from the 1 cup frangipane and the batter to create a checkerboard pattern of dollops atop of base. Continue to alternate in a second layer, using up the rest of the batter as well as the 1 cup frangipane. Use a butter knife to swirl through them to create a slight marbled effect. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to knock out bubbles.
• Use a scoop to place the rest of the frangipane on the top of the cake. Even out with offset spatula. Place the berries atop the frangipane, then sprinkle the almonds all over to coat.
• Bake until the cake has set edges, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer plunged into the middle should read over 202-degrees. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then release the side clasp. Continue to cool the cake on the metal base until room temperature. Add a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar to pretty it up for serving.
• Cake will keep covered for up to 2 days at room temperature. It can also be individually sliced and frozen for later enjoyment.

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• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Apply nonstick spray to pan; place parchment round inside, then spray to coat that as well.
• In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. whip the eggs at high speed until they are foamy, about a minute. Reduce the speed to medium to add the white sugar. Continue to beat until it becomes thick and pale, about 2 minutes.
• With the mixer going, pour in olive oil. Pause to scrape sides of bowl. Add the almond flour, half & half, all of the lemon zest, and both extracts, mixing until combined.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the moist mix. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Prep the apple. Core it, leaving the peel intact. Cut into thin slices of equal size. Pour reserved lemon juice over the apples, tossing them to coat.
• Place apple slices on top of batter in fanned-out groups of about five, having them face different angles all around the top. NOTE: as the batter is very sticky, the apples will be nigh impossible to move after they are placed, so make careful decisions. Sprinkle the sliced almonds around the edges and in the gaps between the apples.
• Bake for about 50 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Set on rack for 15 minutes before removing the ring from the pan. Serve warm, or cool completely, keeping the cake on the round base. When slicing the cake, be aware that the peel is pretty but may resist the blade–it’s easier to snip through with a pair of kitchen shears.
• Cake can be sliced and frozen for later, but it will taste best at room temperature or warmed.

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• Prepare a large cookie sheet, or several sheets, with waxed paper. In a bowl, stir together the pecans and coconut.
• In a saucepan on medium-high heat, stir together the sugar, milk, corn syrup, and butter. Continue to stir while bringing the mixture to a rolling boil. Stabilize the heat so that it continues to boil for 3 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat. Pour in the vanilla. Follow up with the pecans and coconut, stirring well to coat everything in goopy hot sugar.
• Use a tablespoon scoop to dole out cookies on the waxed paper. If they fall apart a bit, carefully use a spoon or the scoop to shape them again. Let cookies set, at least 15 minutes. Carefully peel them away from the waxed paper; note that the first scoops may be more prone to stick.
• Store cookies in a sealed container.

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