Bull’s eyes Cookies (Occhi di bue)

I decided to try the occhi di bue recipe (lit. trans. bull’s eyes), buttery biscuits with jam in the centre.

I used home made orange jam and chestnut cream, but you can use whatever you prefer, jam, chocolate cream or gianduia (nut chocolate cream).

INGREDIENTS:

• 400gr (1.75cup – 14oz) flour
• 120gr (½cup – 4oz) sugar
• lemon zest
• 1 egg yolk
• 250gr (1cup – 8oz) butter
• rhum, if needed (2cl – 4tsp maximum)
• jam, your favourite
• icing sugar

METHOD:

1. Mix together all the ingredients.
2. Add rhum only if the pastry seems too firm.
3. Keep refrigerated for about 30 minutes. Now roll out the dough and use the specific cutter to punch out the biscuits.
4. Remember to make a hole in the centre on each biscuit that lies upon the other, as you can see in the picture.
5. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet and bake them at 180° C (350F – gas mark 4) for 10-15 minutes, they have to be light brown.
6. Cool down, then in the centre of each whole biscuit put some jam (about a tsp) and then overlap the biscuit with the hole so they can stick together.
7. Once you’re done, dust with icing sugar.

Recipe by Alda Muratore from La Cucina Italiana.

Source: http://lozenzeroelacannella.blogspot.com/2008/06/occhi-di-bue.html?m=1