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Les Mendiants (Lemon Cream and Nut Cookies)
Author/Submitted by:
Servings: 35
Categories:
Cookies
/
Desserts
/
Holidays
Ingredients:
-----TORTE PASTRY----- 10 1/2
oz
Unsalted butter, melted 1 2/3
c
Confectioners' sugar 2
lg
Eggs 3 3/4
c
Flour, sifted
-----LEMON CREAM----- 3
Eggs 1 2/3
c
Sugar 11
oz
Unsalted butter, softened 3
Lemons, juiced and zests
-grated
-----TOPPING----- 35
Prunes, pitted and halved 3
oz
Whole almonds, toasted 3
oz
Hazelnuts, toasted 6
oz
Walnut halves 6
oz
Raisins, soaked in rum until
-plump, and drained 70
1-inch pieces candied
-orange peel
Directions:
The colors the fruits used in the cookies suggest those of the robes
forn by the four ordres mendiants, monastic orders that originally
lived on charity -- the Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans and
Franciscans.
Torte Pastry: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle,
cream together butter and sugar until light. In a small bowl, whisk 1
egg. Pour 1/2 of the whisked egg into butter and sugar mixture,
reserving the remaining half for another use. Add the remaining
whole egg and blend mixture well. Remove paddle and replace with a
dough hook. Add flour, mixing thoroughly. Form dough into a ball,
wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate 2 hours.
Roll dough out to a thickness of slightly more than 1/8 inch. Cut
dough into 35 1 1/2-inch ovals with pointed ends and place on
ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated 350F oven 15 to 20
minutes, or until cookies are a light caramel color. Lemon Cream: In
a small saucepan over medium-high heat combine eggs, sugar, butter,
lemon juice and lemon zest. Bring mixture to a goil, stirring
continually with a wooden spoon. Boil gently for 30 seconds. Transfer
mixture to a bowl, cover and chill thoroughly. Assemble: Spread each
cookie with 1 heaping tablespoon of lemon cream and top with 2 prun
halves, 2 almonds, 2 hazelnuts, 2 walnut halves, 7 raisins and 2
pieces candied orange peel. Makes approximately 35 cookies.
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