Post by Paulinemom on Nov 19, 2006 7:22:43 GMT
These Italian, chocolate dipped, hard, sweet biscuits make a pretty gift at Christmas.
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus chilling
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes 15
150 g (5 oz) butter
200 g (7 oz) caster sugar
few drops of vanilla essence
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk
Generous pinch each of ground cardamom and ground cinnamon
Grated rind of ½ lemon
75 g (3 oz) ground almonds
150 g (5 oz) plain flour
125 g (4 oz) plain chocolate, broken into pieces
1.Beat the butter in a mixing bowl with the sugar and vanilla essence until pale and creamy. Add the egg yolk, milk, spices, lemon rind and almonds and knead the sifted flour into this mixture. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2.Form the dough into rectangular blocks, about 8 cm (3h inches) in diameter, wrap in aluminium foil, and leave in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
3.Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas Mark 5.
4.Cut the blocks of dough into 5 mm (¼ inch) slices, place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
5.Remove the biscuits with a palette knife and cool on a wire rack. Melt the pieces of chocolate in a small bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Dip the biscuits into the chocolate so that they are half coated diagonally and leave them to dry on wax paper.
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus chilling
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes 15
200 g (7 oz) caster sugar
few drops of vanilla essence
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk
Generous pinch each of ground cardamom and ground cinnamon
Grated rind of ½ lemon
75 g (3 oz) ground almonds
150 g (5 oz) plain flour
125 g (4 oz) plain chocolate, broken into pieces
1.Beat the butter in a mixing bowl with the sugar and vanilla essence until pale and creamy. Add the egg yolk, milk, spices, lemon rind and almonds and knead the sifted flour into this mixture. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2.Form the dough into rectangular blocks, about 8 cm (3h inches) in diameter, wrap in aluminium foil, and leave in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
3.Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas Mark 5.
4.Cut the blocks of dough into 5 mm (¼ inch) slices, place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
5.Remove the biscuits with a palette knife and cool on a wire rack. Melt the pieces of chocolate in a small bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Dip the biscuits into the chocolate so that they are half coated diagonally and leave them to dry on wax paper.