Easy cookies with spicy chocolate filling

Unbelievable delicate texture, which stays fresh for 2-3 days, smooth chocolate filling and excellent presentation. Real treat for tea party!

Makes 26 medium size cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Good pinch cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup ground nuts (I used 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup walnuts)
3 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Mix together cocoa powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and ground nuts in a small bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together 3 cups of flour, baking powder and salt.

In a big bowl with your wooden spoon, stir the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture off the sides of the bowl periodically. Add an egg, vanilla extract and continue to stir. Holding a strainer or sifter filled with flour above the bowl with butter mixture, sift the flour on it. Using the wooden spoon and then hands make a dough.

Separate 40% of dough and set aside in a medium bowl. Continue to sift 1/2 cup of flour into a big chunk of the dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-4 minutes, divide into 2 equal balls. Flat the balls into thick disks, wrap into plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate mixture over the small piece of dough. Knead in a bowl until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Divide the chocolate dough into 2 equal balls. Flat the balls into thick disks, wrap into plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place parchment paper on a large cookie sheet and spray with non-stick spray. Prepare 2 (19 a x 12 inch each) sheets of plastic wrap.

Take one piece of white and chocolate dough from refrigerator. Using warm hands, press white dough into 15 x 6 inch rectangle on a piece of plastic wrap. Turn the chocolate dough on lightly floured surface and using hands, make a rope the same size as a long side of the pressed dough. Place the rope along one of the long sides of a white dough, leave a 1/2-inch border from a long side. Roll the dough up gently (leaving the plastic wrap behind), then tightly wrap into plastic and refrigerate for one hour. Repeat with another set of white and chocolate dough. Since you might have some difficulties forming a long rope, please make a smaller ropes, which might be place along the long side and tweak together.

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Take the rolls out of refrigerator and cut each one into 13 equal pieces. Place on a prepared cookie sheet leaving about 1-inch in between and bake about 20 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Keep in air-tight container for 2-3 days.

If you like a sweeter version, please cover each cookie with universal lemon glaze: 1 tbsp melted butter or margarine, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 c icing(powered) sugar. Mix together all ingredients until smooth and well blended. Using a pastry brush, decorate cookies with lemon glaze. Give 10-15 minutes for glaze to be harden.

Recipe (Russian version) from Luda Easy cook