Punch and chocolate soft biscuits

Ingredients (makes 30 pieces):

• for the batter: 6 eggs, 6 tbsp granulated sugar, 6 tbsp fine or semi-coarse wheat flour
• to line the tray: butter, flour
• for the filling: 300ml milk, 150g granulated sugar, 3 tbsp fine or semi-coarse wheat flour, 125g butter or block margarine, 50g raisins, 50g walnuts, 50ml rum, 1 tbsp bitter cocoa powder
• for brushing the pastry: 7-8 tbsp Kecskeméti apricot jam
• for the icing: 5 tbsp water, 120g butter or block margarine, 400g dark chocolate

1. Whisk egg whites until frothy, add a third of the sugar toward the end and continue whisking. Mix and stir the egg yolk with two thirds of the sugar until it’s white and forms a ribbon—up to about 4 mins. with an electric egg-whisk at maximum speed. Place a third of the whipped egg white, sift a third of the flour on top, mix gently so as not to break the foam. Add the remaining froth and flour in the same manner, in two parts. Grease a large baking tray with butter, coat it with flour – or line it with baking paper – and distribute the batter evenly in the pan. Bake it for about 18 minutes in a pre-heated oven at moderate heat (180 °C; or 165 °C in a fan-assisted oven).

2. For the filling: warm 200ml milk with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Mix the flour till smooth with the remaining 100ml milk, pour into the hot sugary milk, cook it till it thickens in a minute or two and then leave it to cool. Stir the soft (room temperature) butter smooth. Stir the milky cream until frothy, then add and mix the butter by spoonfuls. 

3. Once the sponge cake has cooled, cut 30 little biscuits with an approx. 6 cm round pastry cutter. Cut the remaining bits of sponge cake into small pieces and mix it with the milky cream, then add the raisins, coarse-cut walnuts, rum and cocoa powder. Spread a thin layer of apricot jam on the little round sponge cake biscuits and then squeeze a small heap of the cream with the jam from a piping bag or layer it on with a spoon. Cover the cakes and place in the fridge to chill for a short while to let the cream harden.

4. To make the icing, warm some water with the butter in a pot until the butter melts in the water. Break the chocolate into bits, put it into the pot and melt it too. Leave the mixture to cool down a little and coat the “macaroons” with it.