Ischler hearts

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
  
       Title: Ischler Hearts
  Categories: Cookies
       Yield: 25 servings
  
       2 c  Flour
      12 oz Butter
     1/2 ts Salt
       3 oz Cream cheese
   1 1/2 ts Orange zest; grated
   1 1/2 c  Sugar
   1 1/2 c  Almonds, blanched; ground
       1    Egg; slightly beaten
     1/2 c  Apricot jam
            Glaze:
       8 oz Semisweet chocolate
     1/2 c  Heavy cream
       3 tb Butter
       1 ts Rum extract
  
      DESCRIPTION: These delicate heart sandwiches are filled with apricot jam
   and dipped into a rich chocolate-rum glaze.
       Preheat oven to 350~. Butter cookie sheets. Cream butter until smooth
   and soft, beat in cream cheese, sugar and egg, blending well. Sift flour
   and salt together and stir into creamed mixture. Stir in orange zest, fold
   in almonds. Divide dough into halves. Roll out oen portion on sugared
   surface to 1/8" thickness, using more sugar as necessary to prevent
   sticking. With a 1 1/2" heart cookie cutter, stamp out cookies to buttered
   sheets.
       Repeat with remaining dough and scraps. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes
   or until they are firm and bottoms are light golden brown. Remove to racks
   and cool completely. Warm the apricot jam and spread a thin layer on half
   of the cookies. Cover each with a plain cookie.
      GLAZE: Melt chocolate, butter and heavy cream in top of double boiler or
   in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Cool slightly; stir in rum extract. Dip
   each cookie lengthwise halfway into chocolate and place on cookie sheets
   lined with wax paper. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set. Store between layers
   of waxed paper in refrigerator. STORAGE: Refrigerated airtight: one week.
       TO FREEZE: These UNGLAZED cookies can be frozen successfully up to two
   months. Bring cookies to room temp and then glaze as directed. (The
   chocolate glaze will dry out and crack when frozen.) From: "Cookies," a
   Particular Palate Cookbook.  modified by T. Grant, Hwwk11b.
  
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