Choc Filled or Jam Drop Cookies

Ingredients:

• 200g shelled roasted pistachios-divided into 2 lots (100g for coating, 100g for dough)
• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon cup plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg white
• Icing sugar for dusting

Choc filling:

• 1 1/2 cups of good quality chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons full cream

Jam Drops:

• 1 cup Raspberry/strawberry mix jam
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Method:

• Preheat oven to 170°C with top and bottom racks. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Set aside.

For the crust:

• In a food processor, pulse 100g pistachios until coarsely chopped. Set aside for coating cookies later.

For the dough:

• Combine remaining pistachios and the tablespoon of flour. Pulse in the processor until finely ground, resembling bread crumbs.
• Whisk together the ground pistachio flour, the cup of plain flour and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

To make the dough:

• In a cake mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy, for approx 4 to 5 minutes. Add vanilla extract and beat till combined. Reduce speed and slowly add ground pistachio flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl until a soft dough is formed.
• In a small bowl, whisk egg white until frothy. Roll dough into 2.5cm diameter balls (approx 25g each).
• Lightly dampen a palm with whisked egg white, roll cookie balls till coated, then roll in crushed pistachios until evenly encrusted. Place cookie balls 4cm apart on the baking sheets.
• Using a rounded end of a wooden spoon, press down into the centre of cookie to create a crater, pushing until just before reaching the base. Re-shape cookies if necessary.
• Bake cookies for 18 minutes, rotating halfway until they turn a light golden brown. Allow cookies to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar.

Choc Filled Cookies:

• Place choc chips and cream into a small metal mixing bowl and melt over low heat in a bain marie until just melted and shiny. Remove from heat. (This can also be done in the microwave with short spurts of heating and stirring a few times until melted).
• Spoon a small amount of melted chocolate into the crater of the cookies. Let set.

Jam Drop Cookies:

• In a small saucepan, heat jam mixture and lemon juice until it starts to bubble. Spoon jam into centre of cookies.
• Allow jam to cool and set before serving.

Tip: May be stored in an airtight container with baking paper between layers.

Happy baking!

chef Nelly