Cookie Chronicles

This cookie is the perfect balance of sweet, tart and nutty. The fig preserves and lemon add a brightness to the earthy, hazelnut dough. Pie lovers will adore these ravioli based on the simplest of Italian flavors. Try this with a glass of semi-dry white wine.

Ingredients

Dough

2 cups AP flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1/4 cup finely ground blanched hazelnuts, toasted

Freshly squeezed juice from half a lemon

Filling

1/4 cup finely ground blanched hazelnuts, toasted

1 cup fig preserves

1 T sugar

Freshly squeezed juice from half a lemon

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon, plus more for dusting

1 egg, beaten

For cookies…

1) In a large bowl, whisk flour, hazelnuts and sugar together. Cut in butter, 1 T at a time. Add the egg, lemon zest and lemon juice to form dough. Separate dough in two balls, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2) In a food processor, combine fig preserves, lemon and sugar. Process until mixture is smooth and there are no lumps. Remove from food processor and put in small bowl. To that add hazelnuts, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate. Keeping it cool will prevent it from spreading out from the ravioli dough during assembly.

3) Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Roll one ball out at a time, between two sheets of plastic, into a rectangle of 15×6 inches.

4) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. With a sharp knife, slice one rectangle to make the ravioli casing. Brush the rectangle with the egg wash. The rectangle should have 24 squares (3 high and 8 lengthwise). Place a rounded teaspoon of the chilled preserves on 12 of the squares. The other 12 are the tops. Place the empty squares on top of the squares which you’ve placed the preserves. With a fork, crimp around the edges to seal the ravioli. Repeat with the other rectangle.

Assembling the ravioli can be challenging at first but they are worth the extra effort.

5) Place the ravioli on the parchment lined cookie sheets. Brush with egg wash and cut a half inch slit into the top of the ravioli. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until light golden brown. Dust cookies with cinnamon immediately after removing from oven. Transfer to wire racks.

Makes 24 cookies.