- Nonstick spray and flour for pans
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 (7 ounce) package almond paste, broken into pieces
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cake flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 10 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup chopped California Almonds
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 muffin pans with nonstick spray; coat with flour and tap out excess.
- Cream sugar and butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add almond paste, 1 piece at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Stir together milk, almond extract and salt, and add to butter mixture. Mix flour and baking powder in small bowl; add to batter. Beat just until blended.
- Spoon batter into 2 pans; they won't be very full. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown and a tester inserted into center of one comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack.
- Chop chocolate and place in a medium bowl. Bring cream to a boil and pour over chocolate; let sit for 2 minutes, and then stir well. Let ganache firm up so that it's spreadable.
- To assemble whoopie pies, sandwich 2 together with ganache. Spread more ganache on top and sprinkle with almonds.