Lady's kisses w/whole spelt

Baci di dama...who can think of a better name..?

Recipe adapted from Giallo Zafferano
time: 20 min preparation + 90 min inactive + 22 min baking
makes about 30 kisses

ingredients

• 150 g (1 cup) regular flour OR, what I used:
• 60 g (1/2 cup) whole spelt flour and
• 75 g (1/2 cup) regular flour
• 150 g (1 cup) whole almonds
• 150 g (1 1/4 stick) butter, room temperature but not too warm
• 110 g (1 cup + 2 teaspoons) sugar
• grated zest from 1/2 orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate, broken in pieces

instructions

1. In a food processor with a steal blade, blend almonds with sugar till fine. 
2. In a bowl of a standing mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, mix together butter, flour(s), almond mix, zest, vanilla and salt, just till combined. Form a disc, wrap it in a plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for  at least 1 hour. 
3. Prepare two sheets lined with parchment paper. Remove the chilled dough and form little balls (size of a small cherry). Arrange them on the parchment paper, spaced 1-inch (2.5cm) apart. Put sheets with balls in the fridge for 20 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile, turn the oven on 160C/325F (static function). Transfer baking sheets from the fridge to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, till cookies are just brown around the edges. Remove and let them cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile...melt chocolate over hot water. Apply about 1/4 teaspoon of warm chocolate between two cookies. Let the chocolate set and enjoy!

notes

• no baking powder, no eggs but the cookies are light, delicate and soft; I couldn't believe it!
• my kisses are little rough; the original recipe used blanched almonds and white flour only;
• those little things are full of taste: from orange, almonds and chocolate; 
• if you use fan forced function, bake in 135C/275F;
• I baked two sheets of cookies at once, since the oven time was kind of long; the bottom sheet baked faster;
• they don't get hard and come in one bite size.