Almond Paste Stuffed Cookies

Ingredients

For the dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sunflower oil
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
To proof the yeast:
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
6 tablespoons lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar

For the filling :
500 g./ 1 lb. 2 oz. pealed almonds
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon mastic granules, crushed with a pinch of sugar, optional
3 tablespoons almond extract
4 tablespoons orange blossom water
1 egg white
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder


Egg wash: 1 egg, lightly beaten, to brush the cookies before baking

Directions:

1. First off, start by proofing the yeast: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast with the lukewarm water and sugar. Let it stand to 10 minutes until a bubbly foam is created on its surface. This is an indication that your yeast is fresh and not expired.

2. To make the dough: In a bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar. Mix well.

3. Heat the sunflower oil a bit and add to the flour.

4. Mix in lukewarm water and add the proofed yeast.  Knead the mixture until you end up with a malleable dough.  Cove with a kitchen towel and leave for 1 hour to ferment.

5. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling: Place the peeled almonds in a food processor, and pulse a few times until well ground.  Transfer to a bowl, add the sugar, cinnamon powder, crushed mastic, gum, almond extract egg white, and orange blossom water. Mix well to incorporate.

6. On a flat surface, roll out the almond filling between two sheets of plastic or waxed paper to a rectangle of 30 cmx 22 cm.

7. When the dough has doubled in size, roll it between two plastic or waxed papers to approximately 30x 22 cm.

8. Peel off the top of wax paper from each.  Invert the almond paste on top of the dough.

9. With a rolling pin, cut into 3 equal portions.  Roll up tightly each portion jelly roll-style, starting with the long side, creating 3 equal logs.  Roll out each log several times back and forth to smooth it.
Gently flatten each log with your fingers to reduce its volume.

10. With a rolling pin, slice each log into equal diamond patterns into 1 inch wide pieces.

11. Transfer the cookies into an oven sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently brush the top of each cookies with the egg wash.

12. Bake in a preheated oven to 200°C/400°F, to a golden color, it takes about 12 minutes. Enjoy.