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2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
Make dough:
Make Filling:
Assembly:
In shallow bowl, beat egg white until frothy. Set aside. In another shallow bowl, combine almonds with superfine sugar. Set aside.
On floured working surface, roll each ball of cold dough into a 3" diameter circle. Place 1 heaping teaspoonful of apricot filling in center. Roll into a log (jellyroll fashion). Dip in slightly beaten egg white. Roll in almond-sugar mixture. Place 2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.
Place pan on center shelf of oven and bake until golden (about 12 minutes). Using a spatula, transfer pastries to a wire rack. Generously sprinkle with powdered sugar. Set aside to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Poster's Notes:
Posted by Virginia Sauer (Sir Angus), Z'L
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A
2 4-oz. sticks unsalted butter, cold
1 cup (1/2 pound) creamed cottage cheese
1 11-oz. package (2-1/4 cups) dried apricots
3 cups cold water
3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg whites
1 cup (1/4 pound) very finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup granulated sugar (preferably superfine)
10X powdered sugar (if you substitute 4X, sift it)
The day before baking, sift flour into large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles large flakes of cornmeal, with several pieces the size of small peas (as though you were making a pie crust). Add cheese. Gently stir with wooden spoon until thoroughly blended. (Small lumps will still be visible.) Roll dough between palms of hands into walnut-sized balls. Encase in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Pour apricots and water into small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover pan and lower flame to medium. Cook until fruit is tender when pierced with a fork (approximately 25 minutes). Drain thoroughly. Mash apricots with potato masher. Using wooden spoon, stir in 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar until thoroughly incorporated. Taste. If you feel that they are not sufficiently sweet, add up to 1/4 cup additional sugar and stir again. (Although I have never added any additional sugar, some people may prefer things sweeter than my family and I do.) Set aside to cool. If preparing a day ahead, cover container and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 375°F. Grease cookie sheets. Set aside.
I found the recipe in a little community cookbook, and made these regularly as a teenager. During college, I baked some while spending a weekend with a friend, and brought a tin back for my advisor. He politely thanked me. Then, after tasting them, he tracked me down to request the recipe for his wife. These always are a big hit.