Maria's Ischli Cookies

• 1/4 pound almonds or hazelnuts, finely ground
• 1/2 pound butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 pound sugar
• 1/2 pound flour
• Seedless raspberrry preserves
• Chocolate icing (see recipe below)

1. If you cannot buy nuts already ground, then grind them in a food 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.
2. (Note if you are working with whole hazelnuts, toast them first in a 400 degree oven, rub off skins, let cool and then grind.)
3. 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.
4. Form dough into a roll 1 1 /4inches thick.
5. Refrigerate overnight in waxed paper or parchment.
6. Following day preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. cut dough into 1/4inch slices and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until golden.
8. Remove from oven and cool cookies on a rack.
9. 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.
10. For a pretty presentation, set them in fluted paper cups.

almonds, butter, sugar, flour, preserves, chocolate icing

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marias-ischli-cookies-recipe.html (may not work)