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Battenberg Cake Cookies

I have to admit these were the trickiest of all cookies and in part are my least favourite but also one of my favourite, but they have been warmly received and so I am still happy to have concocted them. I've tested this recipe and have found even if you think they don't turn out nice and clean, they will. When making them I have found that the dough may not seem like it will seal around the filling, but keep rolling the dough in your hands and it will seal. You may need to clean your hands now and then if remnamts of dough accumlates on your hands, otherwise it will make things messy. I say all of this but they are rather straight forward to throw together. You can always mix up the flavouring if you like either with difference flavourings or by making one of the fillings chocolate or nut, either way I do think a Battenberg cake needs something though otherwise it's just very one note with a bit of food colouring in.

Makes 16

Hands-on Time 30 minutes plus chilling (overnight)

Baking Time 17 minutes



Ingredients

250g Unsalted butter (softened)

200g Light brown sugar

175 Caster sugar

3 tsp Almond extract

3 Eggs, large

400g plus 1 tbsp Plain flour

1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp Fine salt

85g Ground almonds

80g Icing sugar

1/8 tsp Rose water

Pink food colouring (liquid gel is recommended)


Equipment

Freestanding mixer with paddle

2 Bowls

Baking parchment

Spatula Baking sheet (ideally aluminium)

Knife

Spoon

Wire rack


Add the butter, light brown sugar, and caster sugar to the bowl of the mixer and beat on a medium-high speed for 5 minutes until you have a very light and fluffy mixture.

Add 2 teaspoons of almond extract and 2 large eggs and beat for a couple of seconds until combined.

Add the flour, bicarb, and salt and beat for a couple of seconds until combined. Scrape the sides down using a spatula to make sure everything is incorporated.

Take a sheet of baking parchment and place the dough onto. Shape the dough into a wide, long sausage and roll up before popping it into fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour, egg, ground almonds, and icing sugar, to a bowl. Stir until combined.

Transfer half of the mixture to another bowl, add 1 teaspoon of almond extract and stir again.


To the first bowl add the rose water and a dab of pink food colouring and again stir until combined. I would aim for a vibrant pink but I’ll leave it to your discretion.

Line a baking sheet with parchment.


Take the dough out of the fridge, slice into 32 equal rounds.

Take a disc of dough, flatten it a bit in your hand and set aside. Take another pies of dough, flatten it and dollop a portion of filling into the middle using a spoon. It may be a little soft but it’s actually not messy.


Take the first piece of flattened dough, place on top, seal the edges, and roll into a ball.

Place the ball onto the lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.


Pop the sheet back into the fridge, ideally overnight, so the dough balls can firm up.


When you are ready to bake the cookies preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C (Fan)/325°F/Gas mark 3.


Slide the baking sheet out of the fridge and leave the dough balls on the shelf.


Once the oven has warmed up line the baking sheet with another piece of parchment.


Place approx 6/8 balls spaced about 10cm apart from each other onto the baking parchment.

Pop the tray into the oven on a middle shelf and bake for 17 minutes.


Once the time is up remove the tray from the oven. Slide the parchment carefully, with the cookies, onto the worktop. Re-line with more paper and bake your next batch.

After the cookies have rested for a couple of minutes they should be firm enough for you to transfer onto a wire rack to fully cool. Don’t forget they will get firmer as they cool, as tempting as it is to immediately eat them straight from the oven. Like some things in life, patience pays off.


Enjoy!


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