Hausfreunde

Yields
Serves : 2 Dozen
Recipe: foodandwine.com
By LUISA WEISS
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup apricot jam
- 7 ounces almond paste
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 24 walnut halves, toasted
Steps
Step 1
In a food processor, pulse the flour with the granulated sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces remaining. Add the egg and vanilla and pulse until the dough just comes together. Scrape out onto a work surface and pat into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out cookies as close together as possible, then transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps, re-roll and stamp out more cookies. You should have a total of 48.
Step 3
Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes, until golden; rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Step 4
In a small saucepan, warm the jam over moderate heat, stirring, until runny, about 3 minutes. Brush a thin layer of jam on 24 of the cookies and top with the remaining cookies.
Step 5
In a medium bowl, combine the almond paste with the confectioners’ sugar and knead until blended. Roll out the almond paste 1/8 inch thick between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out 24 rounds. Brush the top of each cookie sandwich with another thin layer of jam and top with the rounds of almond paste.
Step 6
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate at high power in 30-second bursts until just melted. Stir until smooth. Dip the top of each sandwich cookie in the chocolate, just enough to coat the almond paste; transfer to the baking sheet. Top each cookie with a walnut half. Let the chocolate set before serving.
Make Ahead
The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container between wax paper for up to 5 days.