Baci di dama

I’ll be the first to admit I am not the best baker. Measuring things exactly is not my forte… but I do love it, and when it works out I find it very very satisfying. Since living in New York, the times I have baked have been few and far between, so I am a little out of practice. With the oncoming of the cooler weather (and a good excuse to drink bottomless cups of tea and baked goods) I decided it was about time to make my return to the world of ovenly delights.

The recipe I chose is called BACI DI DAMA or, ladies kisses.
(adapted from Gourmet Traveller Magazine)

Baci di dama  (ladies’ kisses) 


1 cup mixed nuts, roasted & peeled

1 cup icing sugar

125g butter, softened

1 grapefruit, finely grated rind only

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 cup plain flour

Chocolate filling

150g dark chocolate (60% cocoa)

25g butter

25ml pouring cream


Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Using a food processor (or a really sharp knife if, like me, you don’t own a food processor) process (or chop) nuts until they are finely ground and mix in icing sugar.

Using an electric beater (or your hands), beat butter, rind, vanilla and the hazelnut mixture, with a large pinch of salt until creamy. Slowly add flour and mix until just combined.

Roll teaspoon sized of dough into balls, squash and arrange about 3cm apart of a baking paper-lined oven tray. Bake one tray at a time in the centre of the oven until golden (10-15mins), then remove and cool on a wire rack. Complete with remaining dough.

**Be very careful to pay attention as they burn quickly! Do not attempt to have a shower within the 15 mins! I made this mistake and burnt batch #1!!

For the chocolate filling, combine chocolate, butter and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Continue stirring until glossy and smooth, then allow to cool to room temperature (this will allow chocolate to thicken and ease the spreading of it between biscuits).

Spread a generous amount of the chocolate filling onto the flat side of the biscuit, then gently sandwich a biscuit on top, and lightly press to seal them together.

To mask the taste (and look) of my burnt batch, instead of spread chocolate in between, I dunked the whole buiscuit in the chocolate mixture. I couldn’t bare to throw them away, even though they were burnt, they were still so tasty!

 

My room mate and big fan of all things sweet and chocolate preferred the burnt ones, she loved the smokey, salty, chocolately goodness that it combined. Go ahead, burn a batch a you be the judge!