Layered Apricot Nut Cookies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups butter or 1 1/2 cups margarine
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
3 1/2 cups ground walnuts
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 (10 ounce) jars apricot filling
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preparation

Separate egg yolks from egg whites setting aside both.
Dissolve dry yeast in 1/4 cup warm water.
Work together flour and butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles course meal.
Add egg yolks,yeast mixture and milk and mix well to combine (using your hands works best).
Divide dough into 3 portions, one slightly larger for bottom crust.
Cover& let sit in a draft free place to raise for 1/2 hour.
Meanwhile mix 3/1/2 cups ground walnuts with 1 cup of sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon.
Mix well and reserve 1/2 cup of the nut mixture for the topping.
Roll out larger portion of dough to fit a 15 x 10 sheet pan with 1 inch sides.
Place the dough in the bottom of the sheet pan and cover with the nut mixture.
Roll second sheet of dough to a 15x 10 rectangle and place on top of the nut layer.
Evenly spread 2 jars of apricot filling on the second layer of dough.
Roll third crust and place on top of the apricot layer.
Score the top layer of the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares.
Bake 350\u00b0F for 35 minutes and let cool on baking rack.
Meanwhile beat 4 egg whites with 1/2 cup of sugar until stiff peaks form.
Add almond extract and combine well.
Spread on top of cooled, baked crust being sure to spread to all edges of the pan to prevent shrinking a sweating of the meringue.
Sprinkle with reserved nut mixture.
Bake at 325\u00b0F for 15 minutes and let cool.
Store covered in the refrigerator, slicing into squares before serving.