1993 2nd Place Mozart Cookies

Title:
1993 2nd Place Mozart Cookies

Yield:
30 Servings

Categories:
Cookies,
Holiday




Ingredients:





     3 c  All-purpose flour


   1/2 c  Granulated sugar


     2    Egg yolks, beaten


     1 tb Pure vanilla extract


   1/2 ts Salt


          Grated rind of 1 lemon


     1 c  Unsalted butter, softened





----------------------------------FILLING----------------------------------


    12 oz Apricot preserves


     1 tb Fresh lemon juice


     1 tb Rum


          Confectioners' sugar





  Preparation time: 1 1/4 hours Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes


 


  1. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl and make an indentation or well in


 the center of the flour. Add the sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, salt and lemon


 rind to the well. Mix the ingredients in the well together with the flour.


 Then cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two sharp knives. At this


 point the dough will resemble coarse crumbs. Turn the dough out onto a work


 surface and knead it with your hands until smooth and firm. Divide dough in


 half and shape into two balls.


 


  2. Wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll out,


 about 1 hour.


 


  3. Meanwhile, heat the apricot preserves over low heat, stirring


 constantly. Stir in lemon juice and rum. Let cool.


 


  4. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured


 surface or between two sheets of floured wax paper. Roll out with a floured


 rolling pin to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out circles of dough about 2


 inches in diameter. Place half of the circles onto greased or non-stick


 cookie sheets. Cut the other half of the circles again with a small shot


 glass or cookie cutter to form a ring shape. (Make an equal amount of rings


 to circles.) Place the rings onto buttered baking sheets. Bake until light


 gold, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool a little on the cookie sheets.


 


  5. To assemble, brush the still-warm circles with the cooled apricot


 mixture. Place one ring on top of each circle and press gently (they break


 easily) to secure. Spoon a small dollop of the apricot mixture into the


 center of the cookies. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Cool. Store in
a


 tightly closed tin.


 


 Infused with bits of lemon and pure vanilla and filled with apricot


 preserves and rum, the buttery rounds brought second-place honors to their


 baker, German-born Anne Kroemer of Chicago. Anne uses a wine glass and a


 smaller schnapps glass to cut out these cookies. We've made them slightly


 smaller by using round cookie cutters; biscuit cutters work as well. from


 the Chicago Tribune sixth annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie Contest December


 2, 1993


 Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V3 #339


 


 From: Linda Place 


 


 Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 04:11:40 +0000