Layered Apricot Nut Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• For the Cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
• For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond flavored liqueur, until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.
• Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Fold in coconut and walnuts., Press two-thirds of dough onto the bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Spread with preserves; crumble remaining dough over preserves. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Steps:

• Place the hazelnuts in a food processor; cover and process until ground. Add the confectioners' sugar and egg white; cover and process until blended., In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed for 2-3 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in hazelnut mixture, then butter. Beat in rum extract. Combine flour and salt; add to egg mixture., Divide batter into thirds. Stir red food coloring into one portion of batter; stir green food coloring into another portion. Leave remaining batter plain. Spread one portion into each of three well-greased 11x7-in. baking dishes., Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and edges begin to brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Place red layer on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet; spread with strawberry jam. Top with plain layer; spread with apricot preserves. Add green layer; press down gently., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Spread half over green layer. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until set. Turn over; spread remaining chocolate over red layer. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until set., With a sharp knife, trim edges. Cut rectangle lengthwise into fourths. Cut each portion into 1/4-in. slices.

Steps:

• Shape dough into 2 disks. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Roll out each disk to a 1/8-inch thickness on a floured piece of parchment. Cut into 2-by-9-inch strips. Spread 2 teaspoons jam onto 1 strip; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ground nut filling. Repeat, layering 3 to 5 more strips, ending with a plain strip.
• Wrap in parchment. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Slice dough crosswise slightly thicker than 1/8 inch. Bake at 350 degrees on parchment-lined baking sheets until firm, 12 to 14 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 11x17 inch jelly roll pan. Mix together the walnuts, ground cinnamon, and 3/4 cup of sugar in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together the yeast mixture, egg yolks, sour cream, and butter. Gradually stir in the flour until the dough becomes too stiff to use a spoon. Use your hand to knead the dough in the bowl until it becomes smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide the dough into three equal parts, form into balls, cover, and set aside to rest for about 15 minutes.
• Roll one of the balls of dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to fit the pan. Place the dough in the bottom of the prepared baking pan and spread with 3/4 of the nut mixture. Roll out another ball of dough in the same way, place this over the nut layer in the pan and spread the apricot preserves evenly over the dough. Roll the third ball in the same way and place on top of the layer of preserves.
• Place the torte in the preheated oven and set the timer for 40 minutes. When the timer goes off, the top of the torte should be golden brown, if not then wait a few minutes. Place the egg whites into a clean glass or metal bowl. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, then gradually add 2/3 cup sugar while beating the egg whites to stiff peaks. Spread the meringue evenly over the top of the torte and sprinkle with the remaining nut mixture.
• Bake the meringue-covered torte for an additional 15 minutes. Cool the torte in the pan set on a wire rack. Trim the edges for a cleaner presentation. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Separate egg yolks from egg whites setting aside both.
• Dissolve dry yeast in 1/4 cup warm water.
• Work together flour and butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles course meal.
• Add egg yolks,yeast mixture and milk and mix well to combine (using your hands works best).
• Divide dough into 3 portions, one slightly larger for bottom crust.
• Cover& let sit in a draft free place to raise for 1/2 hour.
• Meanwhile mix 3/1/2 cups ground walnuts with 1 cup of sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon.
• Mix well and reserve 1/2 cup of the nut mixture for the topping.
• Roll out larger portion of dough to fit a 15 x 10 sheet pan with 1 inch sides.
• Place the dough in the bottom of the sheet pan and cover with the nut mixture.
• Roll second sheet of dough to a 15x 10 rectangle and place on top of the nut layer.
• Evenly spread 2 jars of apricot filling on the second layer of dough.
• Roll third crust and place on top of the apricot layer.
• Score the top layer of the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares.
• Bake 350°F for 35 minutes and let cool on baking rack.
• Meanwhile beat 4 egg whites with 1/2 cup of sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Add almond extract and combine well.
• Spread on top of cooled, baked crust being sure to spread to all edges of the pan to prevent shrinking a sweating of the meringue.
• Sprinkle with reserved nut mixture.
• Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes and let cool.
• Store covered in the refrigerator, slicing into squares before serving.

Steps:

• Cut cold butter or margarine and cream cheese into bits. In food processor pulse flour, salt, butter or margarine, cream cheese and sour cream until crumbly.
• Shape crumbly mixture into four equal disks. Wrap each disk and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Combine sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and finely chopped raisins (may substitute miniature chocolate chips for raisins).
• Roll each disk into a 9 inch round keeping other disks chilled until ready to roll them. Sprinkle round with sugar/nut mixture. Press lightly into dough. With chefs knife or pizza cutter, cut each round into 12 wedges. Roll wedges from wide to narrow, you will end up with point on outside of cookie. Place on ungreased baking sheets and chill rugelach 20 minutes before baking.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• After rugelach are chilled, bake them in the center rack of your oven 22 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers...they freeze very well.
• Variations: Before putting the filling on the dough, use a pastry brush to layer apricot jam as well as brown sugar. Then add the recommended filling. You may also make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and roll the rugelach in this prior to putting them on the cookie sheets.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until blended. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture. Divide dough into 3 portions. Shape each into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 375°. For filling, in a small bowl, beat egg whites and vanilla on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on medium after each addition until well blended. Stir in walnuts., Generously coat a work surface with confectioners' sugar. Roll 1 portion of dough into a 12-in. square about 1/8 in. thick, sprinkling with additional confectioners' sugar as necessary to coat well. Cut into sixteen 3-in. squares., Shape 2 teaspoons filling into a small log about 2 in. long. Place diagonally onto a square. Overlap opposite corners of dough over filling; pinch tightly to seal. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling., Bake until bottoms are golden brown, 9-11 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar., To Make Ahead: Dough can be made 2 days in advance. Wrap and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. , Freeze option: Freeze cookies in freezer containers. To use, thaw before serving. If desired, dust with additional confectioners' sugar.