Nut Cookies

These two are not low fat or quick recipes, but their taste worths the trouble. When macadamia cookies -the ones with thin chocolate stripes- have a crumbly and dry texture, filled cookies are soft, moist, orange scented, with a sticky, chewy and flavorfull interior .However, both are excellent with a cup of coffee or milk.

       Macadamia cookies

       120gr                       whole macadamia nuts (if they are salted, wash and strain them)

         60gr                       brown sugar

       30gr                        couverture

       7ml                         olive oil

       160gr                       butter

       90gr                        powdered sugar

       24gr                        eggs (even a little more)

       3gr (1/2 tsp)           salt

       240gr                      all- purpose flour

       100gr                      chopped fine and roasted macadamia nuts

       as preferred           vanilla powder

Blend whole nuts and brown sugar in a food processor until a smooth, homogenous paste is formed. Melt chocolate with oil in a bain marie and set aside. Next, whip butter in a bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment untilled softened and add the powdered sugar. Keep creaming the mixture untill lightened and then blend in macadamia paste and egg, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Combine salt, vanilla, flour and chopped nuts, and stir them in the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Divide the dough into three uniform pieces and on top of a baking mat or paper form an 13x15cm even  rectangle with the first piece. Cover its surface with half of the chocolate and freeze for 3-5min until the chocolate sets. Spread the other third on top of the frozen chocolate (in the same dimensions), level its surface and pour on top the rest of the couverture. Freeze again for 3-5min and spread the last piece of dough above. Wrap the layered dough and chill overnight or freeze untill hard (meanwhile you can prepare the dried fruit-filled cookie). When ready, cut the dough in two 13x12,5cm bars. Mark 10 intervals on the long side of each (1,3cm thick) and cut slices with a sharp knife. Thus, you should result with 20 cookies. Place them flat on a baking mat and bake at a preheated oven to 190C for 14-18min. Considering their quantity they can easily be baked with the other cookies simultaneously, when both are ready. If you want to make the double amount of macadamia cookies, form  a 15x25cm rectangle with each third and then cut lenghtwise marking 20 peices (1.25cm thick) on each bar.

        Filled cookies

       

       Dough

       270gr                         all-purpose flour

       135gr                         granulated sugar

       3gr(1/4 Tbs)               baking powder

       4gr(1/4 Tbs)               salt

       120gr                        butter, cold, cut in 6mm cubes

       1                              egg

       60ml                         buttermilk

       1/2 tsp                     orange zest

       as preferred              vanilla extract

      Filling

      120gr                        dried figs, cut in half and sunk in water untill softer

      35gr                         raisins
      25gr                         candied orange peel or more raisins
      67ml (90gr)               honey
      15ml                        Grand Marnier or rum
      1/4 tsp                     orange zest
      75gr                         roasted and chopped coarse almonds
      37gr                         chopped coarse walnuts                        

At first blend flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a chilled bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. In another bowl, combine buttermilk, vanilla, egg and orange zest, pour them in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Divide the dough in two uniform peices and roll them into 15x15cm squares (chill if necessary). Wrap the dough and freeze until firm for about 30min. Meanwhile prepare the filling. At this point I have to admit that my dried fruit mixture was not enough blended and less smooth because my figs turned out to be quite hard for the food processor

                          

 to grind. If yours are enough moistened, combine them with peel, raisins, honey, zest and rum in a food processor and blend until the mixture comes together into a coarse paste. Then fold in the nuts and spread it on evenly over the freezed dough square. Cover with the other piece and press firmly to level it. Wrap and freeze again until firm. When ready, cut into three 5x15cm strips  and mark on their long side 12 peices to be sliced (1,25cm each). Cut the slices with a sharp knife and place them cut side dough on a baking mat. Bake at 190C for 15-18min.