Maria`s Ischli Cookies

1/4 lb Almonds or hazelnuts; chop

-fine 1/2 lb Butter; room temp

1/4 lb Sugar

1/2 lb Flour

Seedless raspberry preserves CHOCOLATE ICING 1/4 lb Bittersweet chocolate; melt

1/4 c Water

3 tb Superfine sugar

1 ts Instant espresso coffee

1 tb Butter

If you cannot buy nuts already ground, then grind them in a 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~ 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 1/4" thick. Refrigerate overnight in waxed paper or parchment. Following day preheat the oven to 350~. Cut dough into 1/4" 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 1/2 cups. Source: Cooking Monday to Friday, TVFN. MM Waldine Van Geffen

[email protected]. -----