Ischler

Grate almonds using a nut grater.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat almonds, powdered sugar, and butter until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg and vanilla; beat until blended.

Whisk together flour and salt. At low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix until incorporated and dough begins to come away from the sides of the bowl.

Scrape the mixture into a plastic bag and press it together. Remove dough from bag and transfer to a large sheet of plastic wrap. Use the edges of the wrap to knead the dough until smooth.

Divide dough into quarters. Wrap with plastic and flatten into disks. Place in a freezer bag. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, soak dried apricots in 2 cups water for 2 hours. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes on the lowest heat until apricots are very soft. If the water evaporates, add a little extra.

In a food processor, pulse apricots and liquid with sugar, lemon zest, and brandy.

Return mixture to saucepan and simmer, stirring, 10-15 minutes, until deep orange and thick.

Transfer to a bowl; let cool. (You will need only about 2/3 cup, but the leftover will keep almost indefinitely when refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Set 1 dough disk on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour dough and re-cover it with plastic wrap. Let dough soften until malleable, about 10 minutes. Roll 1/8" thick, adding more flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

Cut out 20 cookies. Place 1/2" apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Set aside scraps; cover with plastic wrap.) Bake cookies 4 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet then continue baking for 2-6 minutes, or until edges brown.

Let cookies cool on a wire rack.

Repeat process with remaining dough disks. (After the last batch is cut, you can knead together all the scraps and repeat chilling, rerolling, and cutting.)

Heat chocolate in a bowl set over hot water (not touching), stirring with a silicone spatula, until almost completely melted. Remove from heat and stir until fully melted.

Add cream; stir until smooth. (The mixture should drop thickly from the spatula. If the ganache thickens before it's used, reheat in the microwave in 3-second bursts.) Set aside.

Spread the bottoms of half of the cookies with a thin layer of apricot filling. Spread bottoms of the remaining cookies with a slightly thicker ganache layer. Set the chocolate cookies, coated side down, on the apricot cookies. Let sit for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Store airtight at room temperature, 5 days; frozen, 6 months.