Maria's Ischli Cookies (Mf)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Maria's Ischli Cookies (Mf)

Recipe By : TVFN: COOKING MONDAY TO FRIDAY SHOW #MF6757
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Refrigerator-cky Nut-cky
Butter-cky Iced-cky

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 pound almonds or hazelnuts -- finely ground
1/2 pound butter -- at room temperature
1/4 pound sugar
1/2 pound flour
seedless raspberrry preserves
--chocolate icing--
1/4 pound bittersweet chocolate melted
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee
1 tablespoon butter

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
degree 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 lemon juice or
rum. Form dough into a roll 1 1 /4inches thick. Refrigerate overnight in
waxed paper or parchment.

Following day preheat the oven to 350 degrees. cut dough into 1/4inch
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.

Yield: 2 dozen

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.)

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

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