Hedi's Almond Biscuits

I come from a family where there had to be (many) cakes for each celebration and at least one every Sunday. Of course we also ate biscuits but generally these were the bought ones. This changed when I was introduced to my husband’s Austrian godmother – Hedi - and her biscuits. Before Christmas she is always busy preparing a selection of treats so when you open a tin that comes from her, it is as you were opening a box of chocolates: there are so many types of biscuits, each looking better than the other one that you really don’t know which one to choose.

The Almond Biscuits are one of our favourites: buttery, soft, melting in your mouth. Hedi usually uses apricot jam but I have made them with strawberry and raspberry jam and they tasted equally good.

INGREDIENTS (for approx. 20 biscuits):

260g all purpose flour (plus extra for rolling)

180g icing sugar,

160g butter,

80g ground almonds,

2 egg yolks,

a few tbsps of apricot/strawberry/raspberry jam,

Icing sugar for dusting.

METHOD:

1. In a food processor whizz together the flour, sugar, almonds and butter till they resemble fine crumbs.
2. Add the egg yolks and process until all is combined.
3. Form a ball, cover it in cling film and let it rest in a fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat an oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
5. Roll out the dough pretty thinly (approx. 5 mm) on a floured surface, cut out 5-6 cm diameter circles and in half of the biscuits cut out a small circle in the middle.
6. Transfer the biscuits onto the baking tray covered with baking paper leaving some space between them (they will not rise a lot). The dough is not very elastic so be careful when you transfer the cut out biscuits as they may break.
7. Bake the biscuits for approx. 15 minutes until golden; let them cool down on a baking tray.
8. When cold, spread some jam on a whole biscuit, cover it with a biscuit with a hole in the middle, sprinkle with icing sugar.