Lady Kisses Cookies : Italian Almond Cookie

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper, Silpat sheets or treat with cooking spray.

Cream the butter and the sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolk, almond extract, ground almonds, and flour. Mix until thoroughly blended. Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl as well and mix.

Pat the dough into a large ball, cover and chill until firm. Approximately 2 hours

Once the dough has cooled break off small pieces and roll them into balls with your hands. The dough will make approximately 40 individual (for 20 sandwiches) cookies. Place the balls onto the baking sheets, spaced out since they will spread in the oven.

Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes or until golden. Once they are done remove the cookies from the baking sheets and let them cool on wire racks.

While the cookies are cooling heat two ounces (or a little more if you like extra) of white chocolate chips in a double boiler (or a glass bowl over a sauce pan, filled with water about 1 1/2 inch below the bottom of the bowl).

Don’t leave the chocolate for a minute. Keep stirring until you see that the chips are almost completely dissolved, then remove the chocolate from the heat. Keep stirring until the chocolate is completely smooth.

Match the cookies up by similar size and shape. Coat one cookie with chocolate (or desired filling) and sandwich, or “kiss”, them together. Yum! Smooth the excess chocolate around the cookie for a finished look.

*For the strawberry version save a few cookies. Add approximately one tablespoon of strawberry preserves to the remaining white chocolate. I like only a hint of strawberry, my darlin’ surfer likes a kick. It will make the consistency a bit coarser but the chocolate will soften in your fingers as you smooth it around the outside of the cookies*

Enjoy!