ADVENT COOKIES

Advent Cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup ground almonds
2 tablespoons superfine sugar,
plus  2 teaspoons (additional) superfine sugar
1 egg yolk
cold water
1 egg white
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
red, green, yellow, black food coloring pens
assorted colors fine ribbon
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Lightly flour 2 baking sheets. Sift flour into a bowl. Cut butter into flour finely until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Stir in ground almonds, sugar, egg yolk and enough cold water to form a soft dough.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out thinly and cut out 24 squares, rounds or ovals using a 2-1/4-inch cutter. Arrange on prepared baking sheet. Make a hole in top of each cookie with a drinking straw. Bake in oven 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned at edges. Cool on a wire rack.
In a bowl, combine egg white and enough icing sugar to make a consistency of thick cream. Beat until smooth and glossy. Dip surface of each cookie into icing to cover evenly; allow excess to fall into bowl. Place on a rack to dry. When icing is dry and hard, use food coloring pens to number cookies 1 to 24 and draw a different design or message onto each cookie. Thread ribbons through holes at top and hang 1 up each day from December 1st to 24th.
Preheat oven to 325F (170C). Line bottom and sides of a 2-1/2-inch deep 8-inch-square cake pan with greased waxed paper. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Mix in hazelnuts, sugar, butter and eggs with a wooden spoon. Beat 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth and glossy. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Bake in oven 40 to 45 minutes or until well risen and firm to touch in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove cake, remove paper and cool on a wire rack. When cake is completely cold, cut in 25 squares and brush each with apricot jam.
Makes 24 cookies.
Note: Use remaining dough to make 1 special cookie for Christmas Day, if desired.

Nutrition
Calories:                                                468         
Protein:                                                   5          g
Carbohydrates:                                            64          g
Sodium:                                                  184          mg
Saturated Fat:                                            11          g
Fiber:                                                     1          g
Vitamin A:                                               166          IU
Thiamine:                                                212          mg
Riboflavin:                                              191          mg
Niacin:                                                    2          mg
Vitamin B6:                                               22          mg
Vitamin B12:                                               0          mcg
Calcium:                                                  60          mg
Iron:                                                      1          mg
Magnesium:                                                31          mg
Potassium:                                                95          mg
Zinc:                                                      0          mg
Fat:                                                      22          g
Cholesterol:                                              48          mg
Vitamin C:                                                 0          mg

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