Maria's ischli cookies (mf)

 
                        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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