I was looking for something light, crisp, sweet, but not overly complicated. I make some killer complicated cookies with a scrumptious array of mix-ins. But simple sounded good.
I found a great recipe from Ina Garten for shortbread cookies and figured I would mess with the flavoring and even combine two flavors. So I split the dough and this is what I came up with...
Oh the deliciousness!!! I dipped them in a bit of 61% Maranta Dark Chocolate but would be fabuloso in Nevado White Chocolate as well. I just can't resist chocolate and it adds a little extra dimesion to the flavors. Dip 'em in a hot cup of afternoon or night time tea... oooooohhhhh HEAVEN!
Amaretto Fig Tea Biscuits (adapted from Ina Garten)
Ingredients:
3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tsp. Amaretto flavor paste*
3 tsp. Fig flavor paste*
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sanding sugar to garnish
6 to 7 ounces very good dark or white chocolate, finely chopped
6 to 7 ounces very good dark or white chocolate, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. Split the mixture and in one half add the Amaretto, in the other half add the fig. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, split evenly in half, then add each half to the separate butter-and-sugar mixtures. Mix each separately on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape each into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. Split the mixture and in one half add the Amaretto, in the other half add the fig. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, split evenly in half, then add each half to the separate butter-and-sugar mixtures. Mix each separately on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape each into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll each dough 1/4-inch thick and cut 2 inch rounds with a circle or fluted cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet (covered in parchment or a Silpat. With a second smaller cutter (1 inch round or fluted) cut out a circle from the center of each large cookie and reserve. Once you have removed all the centers with the smaller cutter, flip them over and place the flavors back into the opposite cookies. Half will be large Amaretto cookies with fig centers, the other half will be large fig cookies with Amaretto centers. Sprinkle with sanding sugar and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the edges begin
to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature on their tray.
When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier. This process is to create a tempered chocolate that will set beautifully, not melt as easily, have a nice shine and won't bloom.
Now. Try not to eat them all at once. Don't say I didn't warn you. Happy baking!
* If you don't have flavor pastes, you can use emulsions, oils, or other flavoring extracts. I would use 1 tsp of most extracts along with the vanilla in each half portion of dough. The vanilla just goves the other flavor a rounded boost!
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