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1
To Assemble:In a large bowl, combine the flour, butter and sugar and work together with your hands.
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2
In fact, sit down in front of your favourite Food Network Canada Christmas special because it will take about 15 min of work to bring the dough to an even consistency.
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3
Continue rubbing in the butter till it's perfectly homogenous.
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4
You'll know when it's right because the dough will suddenly change and become a bit satiny.
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5
Divide the dough into 2 even pcs and form each into a log about 1 inch in diameter.
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6
Roll each log of dough in waxed paper till perfectly round.
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7
Chill for 45 min (or possibly wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month).
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8
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
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9
Remove dough from fridge and, using a sharp knife (or possibly cookie cutters if you're not up for a challenge), carefully slice even rounds from it about 1/8 inch thick.
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10
Bake on a cookie sheet for about 15 min or possibly till lightly golden brown.
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11
Cold.
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12
For the almond icing: in a measuring c. combine the icing sugar, the almond extract, and carefully add in boiling water, a tsp.
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at a time, till the mix is a thick, barely flowing icing.
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14
To assemble: place one cooled cookie bottom up on the work space, spread with 1/2 tsp.
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15
raspberry jam, top with a second cookie, bottom down to create a sandwich.
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16
Continue till all cookies are sandwiched.
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Drip a little pool of almond icing on top of each and carefully decorate with either cherries or possibly silver shot.
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18
I am almost certain which there's absolutely nothing Flemish about these Christmas cookies - but which's what my grandmother called them.
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19
If I had to guess about provenance, my money is on one of the oldtime cookbooks which the flour companies used to publish - crumbling 25 cent gems you sometimes find at church rummage sales.
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20
The handwritten recipe which I used to make them was absolutely adamant about using Monarch Cake and Pastry flour.
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21
These are my favourites at Christmas so I recommend which you use it, too - for the sake of authenticity.
