Ischler cookies with currant jam and dark chocolate

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1. Make the dough

   Sift the flour into a bowl and mix with the ground walnuts, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Add the cold butter and egg yolk and quickly work into a smooth dough.

2. Chill the dough

   Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 60 minutes.

3. Cut out the rounds

   Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F), conventional (top and bottom heat), and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of 3 mm and cut out rounds about 4.5 cm in diameter. Arrange them on the baking sheets with a little space between them.

4. Bake

   Bake one sheet at a time for 8–10 minutes, until the edges begin to turn light golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets, as they break easily while warm.

5. Sandwich with jam

   Stir the jam until smooth, warming it briefly if it is thick. Spread a thin layer of jam on half the rounds and top with the remaining rounds.

6. Coat with chocolate

   Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it with the butter in a bowl set over a pan of hot water. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze or spoon the glaze over it, then immediately decorate with a walnut half.

7. Let set and store

   Let the cookies set at room temperature for 30 minutes. Store them in a cookie tin in a cool place. They will soften after 2–3 days and keep for about 2 weeks.

Tip: Let the sandwiched cookies rest briefly before coating them so the jam can bind the layers together. This will keep the top cookie from slipping off when dipped in chocolate.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Ischelské koláčiky s ríbezľovým džemom a čokoládou