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Apricot Almond Cookies... adaptation of Giada De Laurentiis's Recipe ...First of all, I have to apologize for the not so great picture. I happened to make them in the evening and being a cloudy day, I didn't get the best shot. Regardless of the picture not doing the cookie justice, I really liked this cookie. Since I LOVED Giada's ricotta cookies , I decided to try her Apricot and Nut with Amaretto Icing cookie recipe.It had great reviews, so I was up for trying it....hoping it would be somewhat of a decent cookie. If you like amaretto, you will like this cookie. This cookie sort of reminds me of a biscotti. If you will notice, there is no leavening agent. So, don't expect to get soft, fluffy cookies. I didn't have any pine nuts around and so I used all almonds. Also, I used apricots from the whole foods store...they don't have the preservatives added to them, therefore the brownish color. I didn't have any amaretto liqueur so I used some almond extract and a bit of milk. If you don't care for the amaretto, you might add some orange zest instead. Though, I think next time I will dip half of the cookie in chocolate/white chocolate. I think it will look rather pretty and I am sure it will taste great! Well, here is the link to Giada's cookie recipe...click here. If you want a different cookie, you just might like this.

Note: I made a second variation, by using roasted macadamia nuts with cranberries... and skipped the icing. They were a crisp, biscotti-style cookie. I loved them! You will notice updated photos.

Ingredients: adapted from Giada De Laurentiis1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 + 2 TBS cup slivered almonds, toasted* * you can substitute the 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds with toasted pine nuts

Icing:
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp almond extract + milk* * this can be substituted with 5 to 7 tablespoons almond flavored liqueur (recommended: Amaretto)

Directions:Toast your nuts, if they are not toasted, in a dry skillet. [Image] Watch so as not to burn them. They go from golden brown to burnt rather quickly.Dice your apricots. Place them in a small container. Proceed with the recipe. [Image][Image] In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until light and fluffy. It should take you about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and mix until combined. Stir in the flour until just blended. [Image] Don't over mix. Mix in the apricots, almonds( and pine nuts ,if using).
Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for use later. [Image]
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. I cut mine at a slight angle to sort of mimic a miniature biscotti. [Image] Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. [Image] Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.[Image]
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For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond extract and a bit of milk ( or almond flavored liqueur), until the mixture is of drizzling consistency. Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes. [Image][Image]