Checkered Cookies in the Style of Piemonte: Baci di Dama - almonds

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the almonds, sugar, flour and butter.
• Pulse lightly until the almonds are ground and the mixture is homogenous.
• Place the mixture in a mixing bowl.
• Using a tablespoon, place small scoops of the mixture on a lightly greased baking sheet, separating each scoop by at least 1-inch on all sides.
• Use the tips of your fingers to gently flatten the tops of each scoop.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
• Once the cookies have cooled, gently melt the chocolate in the bowl of a bain-marie (a stainless steel bowl fitted over a saucepan of simmering water s that the bowl just touches the water).
• Remove the melted chocolate from the heat.
• Carefully pour or spoon a bit of melted chocolate on the tops of half the cookies.
• If the tops are not flat enough, simply spoon the melted chocolate on the sides of the cookies that were face down during the cooking process.
• Use the remaining cookie halves to form the other half of the cookie "sandwich," pressing gently so that the chocolate adheres to both sides of the sandwich.
• Let rest until the chocolate has cooled, holding the cookies together.