Sugar High Friday...on a Saturday

I've had this recipe in my on-line recipe box for a couple of years. I thought it would be perfect for Sugar High Friday. However, I didn't want to do it as instructed. I'm bad, I know. Anyway, I don't think the way I did it was the easiest, although it did work. So, if you want to be simple follow the instructions. If you want more typical cookies (in shape) do what I did.

This recipe is from the nestle baking site. They have some really fun recipes, of which I have many in my recipe box just waiting to try. I've already tried a couple that are REALLY good. I'll have to make them again and introduce you to the recipes! :-) Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, I changed the recipes some...okay, quite a bit! It instructs you to roll the dough out, spread the filling over, and cover with the other half of the dough. Instead of doing this, I scooped out the dough, put the filling on top, and rolled the dough over the filling. In addition to changing the method, I also changed the filling contents! After comparing their picture and my picture, they look VERY similar. They changes may work well! Anyway, the recipe will show two directions of assembly. My changes will appear in red.

Aunt Helen's Filled Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup AP and 2/3 cup whole wheat)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 large egg
3 tablespoons milk (I used 2 T)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (12 1/2-oz. can) almond cake and pastry filling, divided (I used apricot All-fruit, probably about 1/2 cup, but if using their instructions, use the full cup)
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels, divided (I really don't know how much I used! Maybe 2/3 - 1 cup)
2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted and finely chopped, divided (I used chopped pecans. Once again I don't know how much. Probably 1/2 cup)
Sifted powdered sugar

Directions per Nestle:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheet. COMBINE flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and baking soda in large bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. COMBINE egg, milk and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Add to flour mixture; stir with fork just until moistened. Form a ball with dough; divide dough in half. Cover; refrigerate for about 1 hour or until dough becomes easy to handle. ROLL each half of dough on floured surface to 12 x 6-inch rectangle. Spread each rectangle with half of pastry filling to within 1-inch of edge. Top each filling with 1 cup morsels and half the nuts. Brush edges of each rectangle with water. Bring two long sides of each rectangle together over filling; seal seams and ends of each rectangle. Carefully transfer each rectangle, seam side down, with a pastry cloth or long metal spatula to prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart.BAKE 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut each loaf into eighteen 1/2 inch-thick slices.

OR

Directions per Claire: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugar. Add dry ingredients and mix until crumbly. Add egg, vanilla, and milk. Mix until dough comes together. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes - 1 hour. Meanwhile, mix together all-fruit, morsels, and nut. Using a medium cookies scoop (or tablespoon), drop dough onto baking sheet. Wet fingers with water and flatten the dough and put a small amount of filling on the dough. Using wet fingers again, gather the dough around and over the filling. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Yield: about 2 dozen cookies. If you don't feel like filling the cookies, just place the filling on top! This works as well. Here is a picture of a cookie done that way. It's not as pretty, but it tastes good!

Sorry that I didn't measure the filling amounts. This is a really nice cookie. The cookie itself isn't very sweet, a lot like a shortbread; but the filling adds a nice fruity and sweet taste. I thought the combination of apricot, white chocolate, and pecans was great. I may do this again later as Nestle instructs, just to see how it turns out. If you do it their way, or have made this before, let me know what it is like, please!