Virtual Sefer Lauren's Italian Bakery Cookies

Italian Bakery Cookies
Cream together:
1 lb. butter
1 cup sugar
Add:
8 hard boiled egg yolks (mashed together making sure to smoosh all chunks of yolk well)
Mix well with creamed mixture
Gradually add to creamed and yolk mixture:
4 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
400 degrees for about 8-10 mins. (if you see browning on the bottoms..get them out)
Now for the fun. This dough can be shaped into pretty much anything you want. I take a piece of dough and make it into a little circle about the size of a quarter. Lightly make criss-cross fork indentation on top. I do a whole sheet of these and make little sandwiches. I fill with a little dab of apricot or rasberry jam or preserves, put the lid on and dip only half in bittersweet melted chocolate. (I prefer bittersweet). I cool in the freezer to make a nice shine on the chocolate.
Here are all the variations I do to make a beautiful array of cookies for any special occasion:
Shape dough in to little fingers and dip one end in chocolate.
After dipping in chocolate dip into finely grated, coconut or hickory smoked almonds (chop to almost a fine powder consistency).
Dip into those little colored dots.
Shape dough into quarter size circle and put 1half of a candied cherry in the middle. (Everyone loves these!)
I also drizzle chocolate over plain cookies and the sandwiches for a real gourmet look.
You can be quite creative with this dough. I try to make as many different designs as possible because they look so nice all stacked up in an assortment. They really are Italian Bakery cookies. This recipe came from an Italian Bakery.
A Few tips: Cool cookies before decorating.
Don't make them too big or they will fall apart.
I use hickory smoked salted almonds because it tastes best.
FYI: This is about a two and a half to 3 hour procedure from beginning to end.
Be creative and ENJOY!

From, Lauren Morris