Yield: 4 servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| ¼ pounds | Almonds or hazelnuts, finely |
| \N \N | Ground |
| ½ pounds | Butter, at room temperature |
| ¼ pounds | Sugar |
| ½ pounds | Flour |
| \N \N | Seedless raspberrry |
| \N \N | Preserves |
| \N \N | Chocolate icing (see recipe |
| \N \N | Below) |
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
COOKING MONDAY TO FRIDAY SHOW #MF6757