Assorted Jam Cookies with chewy almond top

15 Sep

My appetite has grown significantly in the last month.

All I can think of is eating… and then eating some more… and then maybe eating some more again. I stepped on the scales not too long back and I think my brand new scales almost snapped in half. Somehow, the numbers didn’t do anything to slow me down. It was almost as if my brain didn’t register that I had put on over 10kg… People at work have started calling me “EM” aka Eating Machine. They make “rude” jokes about how the communial fridge should just be called “Christine’s fridge” because all the food in it belongs to me. We organise catering for some events and they tease about how I shouldn’t be put in charge of it because I would probably scoff down everything before the people we’re catering for actually arrives.. And when I say, “I’m hungry…” They look at me incredulously and go, “Really?!” etc etc… but all in jest… I think…

Putting my weight discussion aside, this weekend was the very first weekend in such a long time that we have had nothing planned. No birthing classes, no breastfeeding classes… no more toilet renovations… (Thank GAWD!!) There was time to just mosey around the house and for me to flour up my hands and do some baking.

The very first time I had these yummy assorted jam cookies with the chewy almond top was from an Italian cafe on Lygon Street. They were so delicious, I used to go back once a week to get myself some of these buttery treats.

I finally found the recipe for these in the Women’s Weekly, “The big book of beautiful biscuits.” I don’t normally fancy using recipes from women’s weekly, however, I must say that some of their recipes are tried and trusty ones. I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as I did. I’ve tweaked the recipe a little – nevertheless… they’re pretty yummy.

Ingredients for the cookies:

  • 125 grams unsalted butter (softened)
  • grated lemon rind of 1 lemon
  • 80 grams icing sugar mixture
  • 150 grams plain flour (I used wholemeal plain flour)
  • 60 grams smooth apricot jam
  • 60 grams smooth strawberry jam
Ingredients for the chewy almond top:
  • 250 grams ground almonds
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1.5 tbsp rum
Ingredients for glazing:
  • 100 grams warmed apricot jam
Method:
  1. Preheat the oven to 170 degree celsius.
  2. Place the butter, rind and icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.
  3. Whisk till a smooth mixture is obtained.
  4. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the sifted plain flour.
  5. Lightly flour the bench top.
  6. Place the mixture on the floured surface and knead the mixture until smooth. *do not over knead!
  7. Roll the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper till around 1cm thick.
  8. Cut the dough with round cookie cutters.
  9. Place the cut out dough on an oven tray with baking paper and prick lightly with a fork.
  11. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes and then place in the oven for 7-10 minutes (cookies should be lightly browned)
  12. In the mean time mix together all the ingredients for the almond topping in a bowl and place the mixture in a piping bag with a fluted tube.
  13. Remove cookies from the oven and spread the jams on the cookies while they’re still hot.
  15. Pipe the topping over the jam and bake in the oven for another 10 minutes till lightly browned.
  17. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the cookies with the warmed apricot jam.
  18. Put back into the oven and bake at 200 degree celcius till golden brown.
  20. enjoy  (*_*)

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