mixture. Place one ring on top of each circle and press gently (they break easily) to secure. Spoon a small dollop of the apricot mixture into the center of the cookies. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Cool. Store in a tightly closed tin. Infused with bits of lemon and pure vanilla and filled with apricot preserves and rum, the buttery rounds brought second-place honors to their baker, German-born Anne Kroemer of Chicago. Anne uses a wine glass and a smaller schnapps glass to cut out these cookies. We've made them slightly smaller by using round cookie cutters; biscuit cutters work as well. from the Chicago Tribune sixth annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie Contest December 2, 1993 ----