MOROCCAN CHOCOLATE & ALMOND SURPRISE BISCUITS

Makes about 24

50g unsalted butter

150g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped or grated

100g caster sugar

2 eggs

Few drops of orange flower water (the

strength can vary widely, so go easy) 125g almond meal

100g (⅔ cup) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Icing sugar, for dusting

Suggested fillings

Crystallised ginger

Tart dried apricots

Dates

Dried peaches or pears

Crystallised orange peel

Dried barberries

1 Melt butter in a heavy-based saucepan; remove from heat and sprinkle in chocolate (the residual heat should melt it).

2 Whisk sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Stir in orange flower water, then add almond meal, flour, baking powder and melted butter and chocolate and combine into a firm dough. Gather into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hrs. 3 Meanwhile, choose fillings and cut all except barberries into chunks a bit smaller than 1 cm. Preheat oven to 200˚C (180˚C fan) and line baking tray with baking paper. 4 Take dough from fridge and roll into balls about 3-4 cm in diameter. Sneak a chunk of filling (or 2-3 barberries) into each ball of dough, re-rolling so filling is hidden in middle. Gently roll in icing sugar; lay out on baking tray. Use the palm of your hand to gently squash each ball from round to slightly flat. Bake 10 mins, or until biscuits are crackled on top. Transfer to wire rack to cool.