Ischlers Recipes

Steps:

• Grate almonds using nut grater.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with flat beater, beat almonds, powdered sugar, and butter until fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg and vanilla; beat until blended.
• Whisk together flour and salt. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix until incorporated and dough begins to come away from sides of bowl.
• Scrape mixture into a plastic bag and press it together. Remove dough from bag and transfer to a large sheet of plastic wrap. Use the edges of the wrap to knead dough until smooth.
• Divide dough into quarters. Wrap with plastic and flatten into disks. Place in freezer bag. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, soak dried apricots in 2 cups water for 2 hours. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes on the lowest heat until apricots are very soft. If water evaporates, add a little extra.
• In a food processor, pulse apricots and liquid with sugar, lemon zest, and brandy.
• Return mixture to saucepan and simmer, stirring, 10-15 minutes, until deep orange and thick.
• Transfer to a bowl; let cool. (You will need only about 2/3 cup, but the leftover will keep almost indefinitely when refrigerated.)
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Set 1 dough disk on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour dough and re-cover it with plastic wrap. Let dough soften until malleable, about 10 minutes. Roll 1/8" thick, adding more flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking.
• Cut out 20 cookies. Place 1/2" apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Set aside scraps; cover with plastic wrap.) Bake cookies 4 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet then continue baking for 2-6 minutes, or until edges brown.
• Let cookies cool on a wire rack.
• Repeat process with remaining dough disks. (After the last batch is cut, you can knead together all the scraps and repeat chilling, rerolling, and cutting.)
• Heat chocolate in a bowl set over hot water (not touching), stirring with a silicone spatula, until almost completely melted. Remove from heat and stir until fully melted.
• Add cream; stir until smooth. (The mixture should drop thickly from the spatula. If the ganache thickens before it's used, reheat in the microwave in 3-second bursts.) Set aside.
• Spread bottoms of half of the cookies with a thin layer of apricot filling. Spread bottoms of the remaining cookies with a slightly thicker ganache layer. Set the chocolate cookies, coated side down, on the apricot cookies. Let sit for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Store airtight at room temperature, 5 days; frozen, 6 months.

Steps:

• Mix dough according to ingredients.
• Not necessary to chill.
• Nuts must be very fine or it will make it hard to roll out.
• I separate dough in half or quarters to roll out.
• Roll very thin like paper.
• and use either a small water glass or biscut cutter to cut round discs.
• bake in 350 degree oven until lightly browned-- While cookies are baking in a small pot on stove.
• mix 2 sq of chocolate, 1/4 c water, vanilla and 2 tblsp of butter on low heat until melted.
• remove from stove and add powdered sugar, mix well.
• set aside.
• When all cookies are baked and cooled.
• fill with jelly of choice.
• red currant seemed the best.
• take one disc and spread jelly thinly.
• place another on top, do this with all discs, then ice with Chocolate and top with Walnut Half.

Steps:

• MAKE DOUGH:.
• Pulse almonds and sugar in a food processor until the texture of coarse meal. Transfer to a bowl.
• Pulse flour and butter in food processor until the consistency of coarse meal.
• Add yolks and lemon juice; pulse.
• Add almond mixture and lemon zest and pulse until dough comes together. Remove from processor and knead once or twice to combine.
• Pat into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• BAKING COOKIES -- 2+ hours later:.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4-inch thick.
• Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut rounds and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake until golden brown on edges, about 18 minutes.(Be careful! These little discs burn fast!).
• Let cool.
• GANACHE - can me made ahead while dough in fridge or later while baking:.
• Bring cream to a boil and pour over chocolate.
• Let stand 5 minutes; stir until smooth.
• Let cool.
• Whisk until thick.
• MAKING YUMMY SANDWICHES = Assembly line family time:.
• Spread 1 teaspoon jam onto one cookie,
• Then sandwich with a second cookie.
• Spread with a bit of ganache on top.
• -OR-.
• ganache in the center & Jam on top shows the pretty jam color, but can't stack them
• Chill before serving.