Austrian Peach Cookies II

¾ cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup milk

¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips

⅔ cup apricot jam

⅓ cup ground pecans

2 teaspoons rum

¼ cup water

1 cup white sugar

2 drops red food coloring

4 drops yellow food coloring

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place balls 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies start to brown on the bottom. remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

When cookies are completely cool, carve a hole into the flat side of each cookie using a small knife. Save the crumbs. In a heatproof bowl, melt chocolate chips in a microwave or over a pan of simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth. In a medium bowl, stir together the melted chocolate, apricot jam, ground pecans, rum and reserved crumbs until well blended. Fill the carved out centers of the cookies with the chocolate mixture and stick two cookies together with the filling sides in to form a peach shape.

Divide the remaining cup of sugar into two bowls. One bowl should contain 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup in the other. Color the small bowl with the red coloring by working it in with your fingers. Color the other bowl with the yellow coloring and add a pinch of the red sugar to it to make a peachy color. Brush each cookie with water and roll them first in the yellow sugar, then dip a part of them into the red sugar to give them a blush. Insert plastic green stems into the top for a realistic effect.