Simple Measure

When it comes to cookies, I’m usually a chocolate chip kind of person. Nothing fancy required, though sometimes I like to throw in some peanut butter or espresso to jazz things up. I guess I just know what I like, and no one seems to complain when I bring another batch of good ol’ chocolate chip to work.

Yet after my foray into shortbread with Earl Grey tea cookies, I was inspired to try something just a little more decadent. And nothing’s swankier than a cookie made for royalty, right?

I chose to make Ischler Toertchen, a cookie created at the Café Zauner in Austria. Emperor Franz Josef always summered at the baths of Bad Ischl, and the Café was one of his favorite places to get world-class pastry.

The Ischler Toertchen is the kind of cookie that can live up to imperial standards: take two rich walnut butter cookies drizzled with chocolate and sandwich them together around raspberry preserves and you’ve got one serious treat. Perfect for royalty — and for friends who deserve something a little special.

Ischler Toertchen

From A Baker’s Tour by Nick Malgieri

I love this book because it has all kinds of recipes from around the world for bread, cake, cookies and pastry. It gives you so many options it’s hard to decide on what to make, because everything looks fantastic.

The buttery walnut flavor of the cookies really was rich and delicious. I’m tempted to think that they might do fine all on their own, without the sweet accompaniments. But who can argue with a classic combination like raspberry and chocolate?

Cookie
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 cup (4 ounces) walnut pieces, finely ground

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup raspberry preserves

Chocolate Glaze
1/4 cup water

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup sugar

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

2. To make the dough, put the butter and confectioner’s sugar into the bowl of your electric mixer. Use the paddle attachment and beat on medium until everything is soft and fluffy. This will take 2-3 minutes. Beat in the ground walnuts.

3. Stir the flour in by hand until it is completely incorporated. Divide the dough into three parts.

4. On a lightly floured surface roll out one section of dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 2 or 2 1/2 inch cookies. Mine were 2 1/2 inches, but I think next time I’ll make them smaller. These cookies are rich enough so that I’d rather have them bite-sized.

5. Continue with the remaining sections of dough. Push any remaining scraps left together and roll them out to cut out the last cookies.

6. Place the cookies on the baking sheets one inch apart. Bake until light golden, about 15 – 20 minutes. Cool on racks.

7.Take half of the cookies and turn them upside down. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of jam on these cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

8. To make the glaze, put the water, corn syrup and sugar in a saucepan and stir together. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate has melted. Let the glaze stand for 3 minutes.

9. Remove the cookies from the racks and place closely together on a piece of parchment paper. To glaze the cookies, pour the chocolate into a plastic bag and cut off the end. Drizzle the tops of the cookies with lines of chocolate.

Makes about 24 sandwich cookies.