Chocolate Dipped Almond Sandwich Cookies

Happy Friday!
... again?!? It seems like it was only yesterday that I made the ricotta tart, but a whole week has gone by.
I'm not sure how you feel, but for me, time flies a little too quickly.
I remember when I was a child, time was going by so slowly. Christmas and my birthday never came soon enough. It took what felt like an eternity for Santa Clause to show up. And then, from one birthday to the next, there was a whole painfully long year. And how about waiting for summer vacation to start? Those dreadful last few weeks of school seemed to drag on forever.
And now, time moves way too fast, maybe because we are so busy with too many things, and never have enough time to do them all.
So here is one suggestion for today: let's bake some yummy cookies, and when ready, let's take 10 minutes out of our busy schedule and sit, possibly in our favorite spot. Just sit and savor the moment, and the deliciously sweet dessert. Let the cookie slowly melt in your mouth, and maybe just for a little bit, we can slow down and relax.
Here is a photo of me enjoying one of the cookies at the beach. Yes, my favorite spot! I should be doing this more often!

I do need to apologize for my un-manicured fingernails. I'm not really the type that likes to sit and get her nails done. When I have a little extra time for myself, I much prefer to relax at the beach, read a book and ... eat cookies :)

The cookies in this recipe are easy to make, no rolling pin or cookie cutters. A perfect activity to do with your kids, if you enjoy their help - not the chocolate dipping part though, it can really burn your fingers if you are not careful. Trust me!
So yummy: soft(y), buttery, nutty, fruity and chocolaty. All in one cookie!

Ingredients to make 24 sandwich cookies:

• 3 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 lemon, finely grated zest
• 1 cup of almonds, minced (I used unsalted dry toasted almonds)
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• apricot preserve, is my favorite, but you can also use raspberry, plum, peach or orange :)
• 3/4 cup of dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream 
• pinch of salt

Preparation time: Between 1 to 1 and a half hour (based on how fast you can roll the cookies!)

Directions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine the egg yolks with the sugar and mix well, with a blender or food processor if you like.

Step 2: Add the butter, lemon zest and salt. Mix well again.

Step 3: Using a food processor, ground the almonds, as shown in picture, and add them to the bowl. Mix again.

Step 4: Add the flour, one cup at the time and mix until blended in.

Step 5: Line with parchment paper a baking sheet (or more than 1 if you have them, so you don't need to wait for the first batch to cook!). Roll small balls of dough in your hands. Try to make them all about the same size. Flatten them out with your fingers. Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.

Step 6: Let the cookies cool down for a few minutes. Spread the apricot preserve on half the cookies, and make sandwiches.

Step 7: Boil one inch of water in a medium size sauce pan. In an oven-safe bowl, add the chocolate and place the bowl in the hot water. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Stir well, until the chocolate is all melted. Slowly add the heavy cream to the chocolate. Turn off the heat, but leave the bowl in the hot water, and quickly dip each cookie halfway in the chocolate. Place them again on the parchment paper to cool off.

And voila', ready! The cookie came out really yummy. The chocolate could have been better.
I do suggest using a good quality chocolate for the fondue. Mine was just an average baking quality chocolate, and I guess I could taste the averageness.
The kids loved them - no complaints about the chocolate :)

You can also have fun with the chocolate, and sprinkle it around the cookies like this: