Ingredients

Shortbread:

All-purpose flour   300 grams / 2 1/3 cups
Sugar   100 grams / 1/2 cup
Salt   2 grams / 1/2 teaspoon
Unsalted butter, cubed and chilled   200 grams / 1 3/4 sticks
Large egg   50 grams / 1 each
Egg yolk   20 grams / 1 each
Vanilla extract   5 grams / 1 teaspoon
Ice water   15 grams / 1 tablespoon

Filling:

Sunsweet Pitted Dried Plums   200 grams / 1 cup
Juice from 1 orange   80 grams / 1/3 cup
Walnuts, lightly toasted   70 grams / 2/3 cup
Blanched almonds, lightly toasted   70 grams / 1/2 cup
Brown sugar   70 grams / 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup
Orange zest   2 grams / 2 teaspoons
Cocoa powder   3 grams / 1 teaspoon
Salt   1 gram / 1/4 teaspoon

Garnish:

Egg white, beaten with a splash of water   30 grams / 1 each
Demerara sugar (optional) for sprinkling on top of the cookies

Yield: 20 cookies

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Scatter the butter over the flour, then pulse until a coarse meal forms. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and yolk. With the processor running, drizzle in the egg. Pulse in the vanilla and water and continue to pulse just until the dough barely comes together. If it is still too crumbly to come together when pressed, sprinkle a little water over the dough and pulse again. But do not overprocess. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. 

3. To make the filling: Soak the dried plums in orange juice for 5 minutes. Drain. In a food processor, blend the dried plums with the walnuts, almonds, brown sugar, orange zest, and cocoa until the ingredients come together in a ball. 

4. Preheat an oven to 350°F.  Line a couple of baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. To assemble each cookie: Pinch off a piece of shortbread approximately as large as a golf ball (about 30 grams / 1 oz) and roll into a ball. Pinch off a piece of filling about 20 grams / .75 oz in weight and roll into a ball. Using your hands or a rolling pin, flatten the shortbread into a disk and wrap the shortbread over the filling. Repeat with the remaining shortbread and filling. You will have 20 cookies. (Each cookie will be approximately 50 grams / 1.75 oz once baked.)

6. Put the cookies on the lined baking sheets and press gently to flatten slightly. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. If the tops do not brown, broil for 1 minute. Transfer to cooling racks and cool completely.

Formulation courtesy of Sunsweet