Apricot and Nut Cookies for Click

It is time for this months and you can see loads of Cookie post popping up every were in the blogsphere.

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I must admit I don't make cookies that often, unless if I have my daughers friends comming to our place and she has been having so much school work and going for her violin lessons and concerts etc....... that she hardly have had time to ask her friends to our place.

One of her best friend who come every Tuesday after school for a hour of chit chat has not been here for few weeks, as Shyama had to go for her violin lessons, to play with the piano teacher in the music academy as she also have exams for that.
Her friend has been missing her visit here so much she asked Shyama if she can come on Thursday.
I coudn't wait till thursday for baking cookies then i would miss the deadline. As if I know If i make something It will few days for me o load the pictures to the computer.

So last sunday I made these cookies and while I finished icing them, my daughter came to the kitchen and and asked if she can decorate them. ( I wasnot planning to decorate them)

So the decoration are done by her. I left her to the decorating them and when i came back and saw the designs I told hubby i think love is in the Air after seeing her heart shaped cookies :-)

The original recipe you can get from here

This is my variation with thethings i had home.

Cookies.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure almond essence
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup almonds chopped
2 tablespoons walnuts chopped

Icing:
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 to 7 tablespoons almond flavored liqueur (recommended: Amaretto)

Directions
For the Cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond flavored liqueur, until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.

Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.