Sunday, October 26, 2014

King Arthur Flour's Almond Flour Review + My Almond Marble Double Chocolate Cheesecake Bars Recipe!


King Arthur Flour Almond Flour.jpeg
King Arthur Flour Almond Flour


The other day the King Arthur Flour company kindly sent me a bag of their new USDA certified organic Almond Flour to use for this review and giveaway.  I had used whole wheat, rye, and soy flours, but this was a first attempt at baking with almond flour.

Besides being gluten-free, this finely ground nut flour adds more protein, fiber, and valuable fats to any recipe such as my sinfully rich Almond Marble Double Chocolate Cheesecake Bars, which are truly to die for with how delicious they are. 

I am confident that once you try the recipe below that you will want to make this decadent treat again.
  
My Almond Marble Double Chocolate Cheesecake Bars.jpeg
My Almond Marble Double Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

The holidays are coming up and you will want to bake.  The King Arthur Flour website is a wonderful place to browse because they have all your baking needs covered from their high-quality, specialized flours, mixes, kitchen tools, pans, baking enhancers to great holiday gifts.  They even have a bounty of recipes to help spark your creativity in the kitchen as well as a baker’s hotline for any questions to help guarantee your baking success!

You can buy the 1-lb. Almond Flour ($14.95) directly online at the company’s website or through the King Arthur Flour catalog.  The company suggests replacing as little as 1/4 cup for the same amount of flour is enough to boost the protein content and health benefits.  

My Almond Marble Double Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

½ cup of butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup of water
4-1/2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tablespoons of canola or corn oil
1-1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of King Arthur Flour's Almond Flour
2 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda (leveled)
1-1/2 teaspoons of almond extract
½ teaspoon of salt
2 large eggs, beaten
½ cup of sour cream

1 8-oz. package of cream cheese
1/3 cup of sugar
1 large egg
6-oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips


You will need a saucepan. Place inside the butter, water, cocoa, and oil.  Heat those ingredients until they boil.  

Take the ingredients off the heat and allow to cool.  While they do, you will need to grease a pan about 12-3/4" x 9" x 2" or even a bit larger if you want a thinner bar.

Now sift the flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar at least twice.  Stir the sifted ingredients into the cooled, cooked mixture and mix through.  Add the beaten eggs and sour cream next along with the almond extract and mix together until well combined.

Pour the batter into your waiting, greased baking pan.

In a separate mixing bowl, you will beat the softened cream cheese and 1/3 cup of sugar about a minute before adding the egg.  Beat until the mixture is creamier with more of a fluffier consistency.

Take the cream cheese mixture and spread over the chocolate batter.  Then swirl the two together with a knife to give it that marble appearance.

Finish off by randomly scattering the chocolate chips over your finished work before baking in a 375-degree oven for about 30 minutes, depending on how your oven is regulated. If you do use a larger size pan, reduce your baking time by five minutes.

Test with a toothpick, cake tester, or a slender knife to see if anything sticks.

ENJOY!
my Almond Marble Double Chocolate Cheesecake bar.jpeg
Here  is what a piece of my Almond  Marble Double Chocolate Cheesecake Bars looks like.