Maria's Ischli Cookies

by Maria Candelli

Servings: 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS

1/4 lb. almonds or hazelnuts, finely ground
1/2 lb. butter, room temperature
1/4 lb. sugar
1/2 lb. flour
Seedless raspberrry preserves

Chocolate Icing:
1/4 lb. bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp. superfine sugar
1 tsp. instant espresso coffee
1 tbsp. butter

INSTRUCTIONS

If you cannot buy nuts already ground, then grind them in a food processor, taking care not to overprocess them or they will turn oily; you can also process them with the sugar to prevent them from turning oily.(Note if you are working with whole hazelnuts, toast them first in a 400°F oven, rub off skins, let cool and then grind.)

Combine the nuts with the butter, sugar and flour; you will have to combine this dough with your hands; if a bit too dry, add drops of lemonjuice or rum. Form dough into a roll 1-1/4-inches thick. Refrigerate overnight in waxed paper or parchment. Following day preheat the oven to 350°F. cut dough into 1/4-inch slices and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and cool cookies on a rack. When cooled to room temperature, sandwich two cookies together with raspberry jam and spread some of the chocolate icing (see below) over the top cookie. For a pretty presentation, set them in fluted paper cups.

Chocolate Icing:
Melt chocolate with water and sugar. When melted, add instant coffee and cook over very low heat for 5 minutes. Turn heat off, add butter and let icing cool to room temperature. (Don't let it get too firm or it will be hard to spread over cookies.)

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