Walnut Squares - German Christmas Cookies

A great German Christmas cookie with a homemade Lebkuchen flavor, spiced chocolate walnut cookies are glazed with apricot jam and drizzled with melted chocolate.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
80 walnut halves
6 fresh eggs
1-2/3 cups (200g) apricot jam
1-2/3 cups (200g) dark chocolate icing
1-2/3 cups (200g) dark chocolate
1-2/3 cups (200g) unsalted butter
1-2/3 cups (200g) sugar
1/2 cup (100g) flour
1-2/3 cups (200g) chopped walnuts
Unsalted butter for the cookie sheet

Preparation:

Melt chocolate and let it cool down a little. Cream butter; add egg yolks, sugar and chocolate.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add egg whites with flour, chopped walnuts and spices to the chocolate mixture. Mix everything, roll out the dough and place onto a cookie sheet.

Bake on middle rack for 25 minutes at 350°F.

Heat the apricot jam together with 2 tablespoons of water in a pot und press it through a sieve. Use a brush to coat the cookies with the apricot jam. Melt the chocolate icing and carefully pour over the apricot glaze. Place the walnut halves evenly over the cake and cut it in little squares.