Travados

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 5 cups sifted flour
• 1 1/4 cups butter or 1 1/4 cups margarine
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups ground almonds
• 1 1/2 cups ground walnuts
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 -4 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon clove
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vinegar (to taste, if you find the filling too sweet) (optional)
• 1 dash red wine
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 -2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon rose water (optional) or 2 -3 drops rose extract (optional)

Recipe

• 1 in a food processor, grind 1 cup each of the walnuts and almonds until fine, but not powdery. add the remaining filling ingredients, grind coarsely.
• 2 make the dough. mix the butter/margarine with the sugar until creamy.
• 3 in another bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. add the vanilla extract and blend with the butter/sugar. mix well.
• 4 divide the dough into 4 pieces. on a floured surface, roll each piece approximately 1/8-1/4" thick. using a cup or cookie cutter, cut into rounds approximately 3" in diameter. gather the dough scraps and re-roll to make more rounds.
• 5 in the center of each round, place a spoonful of the filling.
• 6 wet the edges of the dough with water, and fold in half, making a semicircle. press the edges to seal. if the dough rips or cracks, gently press back together (it will stick back together while baking).
• 7 carefully transfer to a greased baking sheet. they don't expand much while cooking, and can be spaced about 3/4" apart. preheat the oven to 350°f.
• 8 bake the travados for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. once cooked, set aside and allow them to cool *completely*, as they are brittle when hot.
• 9 while the cookies are cooling, prepare the syrup. in a small pot, heat the water, sugar and honey until boiling. lower the heat and cook for another 10-15 minutes. it should be a thin, watery consistency, so don't overcook it. add the lemon juice and/or rose water, stir.
• 10 using a slotted spoon or tongs, carefully lower each travado into the syrup and allow to sit for about 15-30 seconds. place on a rack over paper towels to dry.
• 11 toasted sesame seeds can be sprinkled on top while still sticky, if desired. allow to cool. travados can be refrigerated.
• 12 enjoy!