ihcc ~ giada's apricot & nut cookies w/ amaretto icing

chock full of goodness - apricots, pine nuts and almonds!

This weeks theme over at I Heart Cooking Clubs is What's On Your Cookie Plate? You probably thought there wasn't another cookie in the world I wanted to bake at this point but you would be Wrong! I couldn't wait to start digging through my Giada cookbooks for something a little different. I also wanted to use what I had one hand so the challenge was on!

What first attracted me to this recipe were the dried apricots. They are sweet with a slight chew like an al-dente piece of pasta. I was also intrigued by the mixture of almonds and pine nuts. It's not one I have baked with before. I loved the base of the cookie. It was light and lovely with a hint of cinnamon. I think you could use that cookie base to make just about any kind of cookie using lemon and dried blueberry or orange and dried cranberries. It's quite versatile.So happy baking y'all! 

Celebrate the Feast!

Mary

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packaged and ready to go...

Apricot and Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Icing:

1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

5 to 7 tablespoons almond flavored liqueur (recommended: Amaretto

Directions:

For the Cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond flavored liqueur, until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.

Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.