Whoopie Pie Chocolate Biscuit Cookies with Almond Cream

Ingredients:

For sponge cookies:

• 55g chopped sugar-free chocolate
• 110 g semi-sweet chocolate granules
• 110g (or 1/2 cup) diced unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 cup premium wheat flour
• 1/3 cup instant cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the filling:

• 1 and 1/4 cups milk
• 1 cup toasted blanched almonds
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. premium wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup melted chocolate for decoration (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 190C.
2. Let's prepare the cookies: In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the unsweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butter. Fill a saucepan (about the same size as the bowl) 1/3 full with water and set over medium heat. When the water comes to a boil, place the bowl with the chocolate and butter on top of the saucepan and reduce the heat. Your goal is to gently melt the chocolate and butter, stirring constantly and skimming off any splatters from the edges of the bowl to prevent burning.
3. In another bowl, combine sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Set aside.
4. Separately sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
5. Once the chocolate and butter have melted, remove the bowl from the heat, stir again to ensure the mixture is smooth, and transfer it to another medium bowl. This will help the mixture cool faster. Let the chocolate cool for a few minutes. Add the egg mixture, then the flour mixture. Stir quickly; over-stirring may affect the texture. biscuits.
6. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (you can also use a sheet of parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray). Pour large spoonfuls of batter onto the baking sheet, trying to form as round a circle as possible. The circles should be about 5 cm in diameter. Leave about 5 cm of space between each circle, as they will expand during baking.
7. Place the baking sheet in a hot oven and bake for 6-8 minutes. Check the biscuits. Leave them in the oven for another minute or two if they seem undercooked. The dough will lose its shine and moisture, but will still remain soft. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool for 5-10 minutes, then carefully transfer them flat-side down to a surface.
8. Preparing the filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil and add 3/4 cup of toasted almonds. Set the remaining almonds aside. Turn off the heat and let the almonds soak in the milk for 10-15 minutes. Strain the milk and return it to the saucepan, discarding the almonds.
9. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and egg yolks until the batter is thick and smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
10. Pour a small amount of the hot milk mixture over the eggs and whisk with a mixer. Pour the egg mixture back into the milk; reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5-8 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Add the almond extract. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Transfer the cream to a clean bowl. Stir in the reserved almonds. Cover tightly with a lid to prevent a skin from forming on the cream. Cool.
11. Assemble the sandwich cookies: Spread the cream on the chocolate biscuits, then press them together. Decorate the cookies with melted chocolate, if desired.