Apple and Nut Pockets

Title:
Apple and Nut Pockets

Yield:
20 Servings

Categories:
Desserts,
Cookies,
Holidays




Ingredients:





          -Dottie Cross TMPJ72B


          -DOUGH:


     8 tb Unsalted butter; softened


 1 1/4 c  Sugar


     1    Large egg


 1 1/2 ts Vanilla extract


 2 1/2 c  Sifted all-purpose flour


   1/2 ts Salt


   1/4 ts Baking soda


          -FILLING:


   2/3 c  Apple butter


     1 tb Lemon juice


          Grated zest of 1 lemon


   1/4 c  Finely chopped walnuts


          Confectioners' sugar


          -for dusting






 To make the dough: In a medium bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer set


 at high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar


 and beat until light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg


 and vanilla. Sift the flour with the salt and baking soda. Gradually add


 the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.


 Scrape the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly.


 Refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to roll out, at least 6 hours,


 or preferably overnight. To make the filling: Combine the apple butter,


 lemon juice, lemon zest, and walnuts and mix well. Preheat the oven to 375


 degrees. Divide the dough into 4 portions. On a lightly floured work


 surface, roll out one portion of dough to 1/8 inch thickness. (If the dough


 crumbles, work in your hands until malleable.) Using a 3-inch round cookie


 cutter, cut out rounds of the dough. Gather up the scraps to work into the


 remaining dough. Repeat the process until all the dough has been used.


 Place a rounded teaspoon of the filling in the center of half of the


 rounds. Brush the edges of the rounds lightly with water. Place the


 remaining rounds on top of the filled cookies. Using a fork, press the


 edges sealed. Don't worry if cracks appear in the surface. Transfer the


 cookies to ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15


 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely. Sprinkle with


 confectioners' sugar before serving. Makes about 20 large cookies. Source:


 "An Edible Christmas" (A Treasury of Recipes for the Holiday) by Irena


 Chalmers. Reformatted by: CYGNUS, HCPM52C


 


 From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini