Saccottini Pugliesi (Pugliese Sandwich Cookies)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canned chick-peas, drained
• 2 tablespoons chestnut honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts, minced
• unbleached all-purpose flour, for dusting
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed (from a 17 1/4-ounce package)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• confectioners' sugar, to taste

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 375°F In a food processor or blender, purée the chickpeas with the honey, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the pine nuts.

2. 2

   On a lightly floured work surface, lay out the puff pastry sheets. Using a 1½ inch round cookie cutter, cut out 64 rounds. Place a teaspoonful of filling in the center of half of the rounds. Sandwich with remaining rounds.

3. 3

   Using your fingers, gently press the edges of the rounds together to seal in the filling (as cookies bake, parts of the edges will open). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using the tines of a fork, prick the tops. Brush tops with the egg and bake until golden, about 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.