“Pains d’Amandes” are a coffee-time cookie favorite in Flanders. They can be found in most grocery stores and markets. They are also favorites amongst home bakers, as they are easy to make, even in large batches.

While you can find many different versions of the recipe, it almost always includes golden or brown sugar, cinnamon to flavor the dough and almonds (whole or sliced) for an extra crunchy texture.

In taste, “Pains d’Amandes” could remind one of speculoos cookies, but with the added goodness of almonds. These are very, very crunchy – which makes them somewhat addictive. They are great to dunk into a coffee or tea, or just to enjoy on their own. Their oblong shape also makes them perfect for sticking into a scoop of ice cream.

A Note on “Cassonade”

Like many regional baked goods from the French Flanders, at the northern tip of France, these Thin Spiced Almond Cookies (Pains d’Amandes) are traditionally made with “Cassonade” (brown or golden sugar). 

It is a little known fact that Cassonade is a beloved ingredient in the north of France. In the 19th century, France’s first sugar refineries established themselves around Lille, the capital of French Flanders, importing sugar cane from the French colonies, through the local port of Dunkerque. At the time, Cassonade became a common good in households, and gave cooks and bakers infinite inspiration for sugar-focused recipes. 

Still today, Cassonade holds a prominent place in Northern French cooking. It is enjoyed in popular local specialties, including la tarte au sucre (sugar pie), les gauffres fourrées au sucre (sugar-stuffed waffle cookies), and perhaps the most popular of all, Beef & Beer Carbonnade.

As far as using golden sugar (Cassonade Blonde) or brown sugar (Cassonade Brune) in this recipe, I tested it with both and found that using brown sugar gave more depth of flavor. The trials using golden sugar were delicious too, but a bit subtler in taste. I have also come across recipes that use crystal sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar – which I believe makes for an even crunchier cookie.

How to store Pains d’Amandes? 

• Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 12 days at room temperature.
• Freeze them in airtight container for up to 3 months.

Baking notes:

• This recipe requires the cookie dough to rest and firm up in the fridge overnight, so plan accordingly.
• The first step of this recipe is to melt the butter with sugar in a saucepan. The butter should be completely melted but do not let the sugar completely melt/dissolve. Keeping sugar crystals intact will make for the signature crunch of these cookies. 
• I recommend you line up your baking sheet with parchment paper, and not silicon mats. Parchment paper will ensure the cookies turn dry and crispy, while they may not get as crispy if using a mat. 
• This recipe is easy, but the slicing of the dough into thin slices may be the only step that is a little delicate. Once taken out of the fridge, the dough will warm up and soften fast. Act quickly or you will end up with soft, thick and/or uneven slices, especially if you hit a hard almond. Make sure you use a very sharp knife (this is essential). Cut the slices with a quick and confident motion.
• Half-way through baking, the cookie slices need to be flipped. To do so, I like to use a large spatula and slide it under 2-3 cookies slices at a time and flip them. I find it easier than to slide it under each cookie one by one – they tend to fold/get misshapen when doing so.
• Along with baking sheets, you will also need a 8×8-inch (20.3×20.3cm) square pan or a 9×5-inch (22.9×12.7cm) loaf pan for this recipe.

I hope you’ll love this Thin Spiced Almond Cookies (Pains d’Amandes) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• Cocoa and Almond Thumbprint Cookies (Linzele)
• Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt 
• Breton Salted Butter Sables
• Chocolate chip cookies with fleur de sel 
• Butter Sables from Alsace

Thin Spiced Almond Cookies (Pains d’Amandes)

Print Recipe

Serves: Makes 60 cookie slices Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.2/5

( 9 voted )

Ingredients

1/2 cup  (8 tbsp/1 stick/115g) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups (295g) packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
1/3 cup (79g/ml) water
2 1/3 cups (325g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 cup (85g) whole almonds (unblanched)
1/3 cup (30g) almonds slices

Instructions

Make sure to read the baking notes (above) before you start.

Step 1 - In a medium sauce pan, combine the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water. Place over medium heat and let melt, stirring occasionally, until the butter is all melted, but the sugar still has a grainy texture (we don’t want to melt the sugar entirely here). Immediately remove from the heat.

Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Pour the sugar mixture in and stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated. Add almonds and almond slices and stir again until just incorporated.

Step 3 - Line a 8x8-inch (20.3x20.3cm) square pan or a 9x5-inch (22.9x12.7cm) with parchment paper (bottom and sides). Press the dough into the pan and cover with plastic film. Chill overnight.

The next day, pre-heat your oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the middle and line-up 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 4 - Pull the dough out of the pan, unwrap the dough and transfer onto a cutting board. It should resemble a firm block of fudge.

If you used a 8”x 8” square pan, start by slicing the square in the middle (so you have two 4”x 8” rectangles). Using a very sharp knife, slice the rectangles into 1/8-inch slices (or as thin as you can). Place slices onto baking sheets, leaving at least 1 inch space in-between each slice.

Bake (one sheet at a time) for 10 minutes, until golden underneath. Quickly flip cookies and bake 8-10 minutes until crisp-looking and golden.

Transfer cookies onto cooling rack.

Recipe adapted from Oncuisine.fr and Flo Braker’s book ‘Sweet Miniatures’. 

The post Thin Spiced Almond Cookies (Pains d’Amandes) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

The Origin of the dish.

You can assuredly feel the strong influence of Belgian Flanders in this dish, with the brown ale being used to braise the meat, instead of wine, as is usually done in the rest of French Cuisine, in the famous Beef Bourguignon for instance. The Flemish region – straddling the Franco-Belgian border – is worldwide famous for its breweries and ales – which are very often used in the local cooking repertoire.

Just like in Belgium, the Carbonnade is a very popular dish in French Flanders and you can find it served in most “Estaminets” – the name given to the local bistros that serve typical regional food and drink, in the North of France. A traditional Carbonnade is made with brown ale, beef and brown sugar. But you can find different local twists on it – like rabbit replacing beef, and local speculoos cookies being crumbled into the sauce, as a substitute for traditional brown sugar. In fact, you can find a version of a Rabbit and Speculoos Carbonnade recipe in my cookbook, “Rustic French Cooking Made Easy”.

Tips for Success:

The Beef

As with any beef stew, perhaps the most important step is to start with the right cut of beef. For a Carbonnade, choose collagen-rich cuts (known as “stewing beef”) such as shank, sirloin tip, chuck roast, and blade.

Stay away from pre-packaged chunks, which tend to turn chewy once cooked. Instead, choose one or a few large pieces (2 1/2 pounds total), and then cut them into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes. Try to stay true to this cut size, as the cubes will shrink slightly as they cook. Go any smaller and they won’t hold up to the hours of stewing.

The Maillard Reaction

Another key to a great Carbonnade is the proper browning of the beef. Browning occurs over medium-high heat, where the beef proteins melt with sugar to create new molecules responsible for roasted aromas and flavors. This process, called the Maillard reaction, is essential to build flavor in a stew. Do not rush this step – it is well worth it. Work in several smallish batches. Do not overcrowd the pan, and ensure the beef cubes bear a brown crust on both sides before starting another batch.

The beef pieces will render juice as they cook, but if there is enough space between the them, the juice will evaporate correctly. If the pieces are too close together, the juice will surround and boil them, resulting in greyish and rubbery beef cubes. Also, always resist the urge to stir the meat as it cooks. The piece will likely stick at first and come off once browned.

What beer to choose for a Carbonnade?

A Fleminsh Carbonnade relies on brown ale to build a rich, sweet and salty gravy. Traditional recipes call for a deep Belgian Trappist Ale, such as a Dubbel or a stronger Tripel, if you want to build a darker, more intense gravy. 

These Belgian Trappist ales are dark brown in colour, with subtle bitterness and fairly heavy, round bodies which makes them perfect for cooking rich, earthy stews. They have a great cereal character and sweet, caramel-like malty notes which will show well in the Carbonnade – giving it that distinct sweet and salty appeal.

My suggestions are:

• Dubbels: Westmalle Dubbel, Chimay Premiere , La Trappe Dubbel, Rochefort 6.
• Tripels: Westmalle Tripel, Chimay White, La Trappe Tripel, Achel 8.

Belgian Trappist ales are usually fairly strong (6%-8% ABV), but don’t worry – most of the alcohol evaporates during the cooking process.

The pot

To achieve this stew, you will need a heavy bottomed Dutch-oven (about 6-quartz) that can go from the stove top to the oven.

The timing

A Carbonnade is a big dish best suited for weekends, when you can devote a few hours to being home. This is a simple recipe that requires minimal effort and prepping, but the stew cooks for 2 1/2 hours, so plan accordingly.

But do know it is even better when reheated the next day, as the flavors meld and improve overnight in the fridge.

Serving

In Flanders, a Carbonnade will typically be served with French fries on the side. I personally love to serve it with boiled baby carrots, and/or boiled potatoes or egg noodles.

Summary of cooking tips:

• Use a heavy bottomed Dutch-oven (about 6-quartz). 
• For the beef, choose a collagen-rich cut such as shank, sirloin tip, chuck roast, and blade. Cut it into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes. Do not rush the browning of the beef. 
• For the beer, choose a Belgian Trappist ale, such as a Dubbel or a Trippel. 

I hope you’ll love this Flemish Beef and Beer Stew (Carbonnade Flamande) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More French Stews & Braised Meats to enjoy:

• Creamy French Tarragon Chicken
• Beer-braised Spiced Pork Shanks
• Shallots and Bacon Chicken Fricassee
• Classic French Beef Bourguignon
• Classic French Coq Au Vin  Rouge
• Classic French Coq Au Vin Blanc
• Chicken Chasseur (Classic French Hunter’s Chicken) 
• Braised Rabbit with Prunes (Lapin aux Pruneaux) 

Flemish Beef and Beer Stew (Carbonnade Flamande)

Print Recipe

Serves: 6-8 people Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes 2 Hours 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.8/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs (1.14kg) chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces (or other stewing beef cut - see above notes)
Salt, fresh ground black pepper to taste
4 tbsp (56g) butter, divided
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch thick half rounds
3 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole but lightly crushed 
3 tbsp (23g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (12 oz bottle) Belgian Trappist Ale
1 (250ml) cup beef stock
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 ½  tbsp (18.75g) dark brown sugar

Instructions

Step 1 - Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towel and season them well with salt and black pepper. Let rest to near room temperature for about 30-45 minutes prior to starting cooking. 

Step 2 - On the stove top over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch-oven. Working in batches, add the beef cubes and brown them, about 3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcrowd or overlap any meat cubes or they won’t brown properly. It should take about 3 to 4 batches to brown 2 ½ lbs of beef.  Transfer the browned beef to a separate bowl. 

Pre-heat your oven to 325F (163C) with a rack in the middle.

Step 3 - Lower the heat to medium, add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the Dutch-oven to melt, and add the sliced onions and garlic. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. 

Step 4 - Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes until the onions are evenly coated and the flour starts to brown. This cooks the "rawness" out of the flour.

Step 5 - Pour in the brown ale and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the beef stock, thyme, bay leaves, brown sugar, browned beef cubes and stir to combine. The liquid should almost cover all the beef cubes. 

Cover with the lid and place in the oven. Let cook for 2 hours, until the beef is fork tender. 

Before serving, adjust seasoning if needed and discard of the thyme and bay leaves. 

The post Flemish Beef and Beer Stew (Carbonnade Flamande) appeared first on Pardon Your French.