BOKKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cream butter and sugar together.
• Add egg yolks and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
• To egg whites in a shallow bowl, add water and beat with a fork.
• Shape dough into 1 1/2 - 2-inch long fingers with stubby ends. My Mom used to make them into little horseshoe shapes after she shaped them into the fingers. It gave them a neat appearance.
• Drop into egg whites.
• Roll in nuts.
• Bake for 14 - 16 minutes.
• Cool.
• While the cookies cool, melt the chocolate squares using whichever method you prefer. I usually use the microwave and stir every 15 seconds. You could melt it with a double boiler if you wish.
• Dip ends in melted chocolate.
• Set on waxed paper to allow chocolate to set up.

Steps:

• Beat egg whites until foamy in a large glass or metal mixing bowl. Gradually add the white sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Fold in the almond meal, cinnamon, lemon zest, and vanilla.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag with a large plain tip (or a gallon-sized plastic zipper bag with the corner snipped off). Pipe the meringue into ladyfingers about 3 inches long. Set the pan aside and let the meringues dry at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Preheat an oven to 320 degrees F (160 degrees C).
• Bake the cookies on the middle oven rack until dried but not yet brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow them to cool completely.
• Make the filling by creaming the butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just-barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching.
• To assemble the cookies, spread buttercream on the back of a cookie, sandwich it together with another cookie, and dip both ends in the melted chocolate. Let the dipped cookies dry on waxed paper or parchment.