In my idea dame’s kisses are those yummy coconut and mascarpone cheese cookies I already talked to you about (click here to look at the recipe again), which are perfect during winter holidays because they vaguely resemble snow balls.

Actually, Baci di Dama are very famous Italian pastry cookies, typical from the Northern region of Piemonte, originally made with almond flour (or chopped almonds or hazelnuts), melted chocolate and few other ingredients. Absolutely delicious, and ideal as Christmas edible gifts since they can last up to a month if stored in a tin or glass jar.

This week I am sharing this recipe because I needed something original to share with my friends at our annual Christmas cookie exchange. Last year I shared with them my masterpiece (Italian Biscotti Cantucci), and I wanted to impress my girlfriends again this year with something special and, of course, authentic Italian!  However, this recipe doesn’t belong to my region’s tradition (Veneto), so I tried one I found here. After searching carefully for a good recipe, I experimented with it, and have translated it for you. In my searching, I also read that Dame’s kisses (Baci di Dama) got their name from their shape: two dough crescents connected by a layer of chocolate (dark or milk) that recall the idea of two lips molten in a sweet kiss (How romantic!).

By the way, this recipe is super easy and pretty quick, but I warn you that it takes a little patience when it is time to make the small balls that comprise the cookies, and the dough needs altogether almost two hours rest. The positive sides is that using these quantities you will obtain about 50 extra delicious cookies!

INGREDIENTS for about 50 pieces

9 oz. almond flour (better if bleached)

4 oz. or 1/2 cup sugar

11 tbs. unsalted butter, softened

2 tbs. vanilla extract

one big pinch of sea salt

8 oz. or 1 cup all purpose flour

1 orange zest

4 0z. dark or milk or white chocolate

 

DIRECTIONS

In a big bowl, combine all the ingredients and, with your hands, knead them very well until you obtain a compact and homogeneous loaf.

Wrap the loaf with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge at least one hour.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment. With your hands, make small ball of dough, using about 0.2-0.3 oz. of dough for each one. Arrange the dough balls on the baking sheet keeping a small distance between each of them (they will raise a little).

Put the ball in the refrigerator for another half an hour.

Bake the cookies  at 320 F (160 C.)  for 15-20 minutes or until the bottoms start to brown.

Let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet. Microwave the chocolate and, using a teaspoon or a cake decorator, spread some chocolate on the bottom of  one cookie and attach another to form a sandwich. Continue until all cookies are paired up.

Let the assembled sandwich cookies cool for about ten minutes to allow the chocolate to set.

Now you are ready to store the cookies in a glass tin and enjoy them anytime!

LEARNT IT, MADE IT, LOVED IT!

 

Tips: – Remember to let the cookies cool off before removing them from the oven sheet; if you don’t they will crumble in your hand!

– My kids prefer the milk chocolate filling, but the true Dame Kisses are filled with dark chocolate.

– I experimented this recipe three times: the first one I used unbleached almond flour, and the cookies came out darker, more gummy and according to my husband definitely not as good.

 

The second time I used bleached almond flour, and first I mixed  the sugar with the flour, then the butter and then the other ingredients until I obtain the loaf. The third time I just mixed up all the ingredients together. In these last two attempts the result was the same: pretty and delicious cookies!

I really hope you like this recipe, and please, if you do,

share it, like it, leave a comment, subscribe, and help support my blog!

Much thanks,

Silvia