The Baking Bible – The Ishler

I admit to not being much a of cookie lover.  My mom was a cake, pie and pastry baker and cookie baking was reserved for the holidays when all the aunts got together to make the traditional Italian cookies.  In my house if it wasn’t the holidays, cookies meant store bought.  My dad had a fancy for Pecan Sandies.  To me they were hard, dry, tasteless hockey pucks.  I detested them.  The only store bought cookie I actually liked was a fig newton, which to me was more of a cake than a cookie.  As I have said, I am not a very patient person and just the thought of having to make cookies sends me reeling.  I just find them to be fidgety, fussy things which don’t really satisfy me in the end.  Baking is my way of relaxing and all the fussing with rolling or making little balls and then having to stand by the oven to make sure they don’t overbake to me is just plain tedious and not at all a relaxing endeavor so, like my mom before me, I reserve cookie making for the holidays.

While I was assembling the cookies I thought they might be a bit dry and was afraid I may have overbaked them but once they were assembled and rested for about 30 minutes they softened up.  I found them to have a pleasant but mild almond flavor and I really liked the chocolate and apricot combination.  While I enjoyed them I was not totally enamored with them (I chalk this up to my general distaste for cookies), as everyone one else that I gave them to loved them.  All of that being said, I would not rush into the kitchen to make them again.

I have to admit that I fell in love with Lekvar during the Heavenly Bakers and usually have it on hand all the time now.  I especially love it on English muffins.  That alone made it worth making these cookies at least once.  The lekvar combined with the chocolate ganache was definitely a winning combination for me.

The recipe was fairly easy.  I made the dough in a food processor.  Just process the nuts and confectioners sugar until the nuts are finely ground, add the butter and process until smooth.  Add the egg and vanilla and give it a slight whizz to combine and the dough is ready.  I wrapped the dough and chilled it overnight.  I was a bit worried about rolling them as the dough is quite soft, but they rolled out very easily and then just cut them with the desired cutter and bake.

Cookies ready for the oven

Out of the oven

Two halves ready to be put together

Once they are baked and cooled the two halves are sandwiched together with the ganache and lekvar and they are ready to eat.  Not bad at all.  I found them enjoyable with a cup of Marco Polo tea.  If your a cookie lover, then by all means make these.