Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
These nutty, melt-in-your mouth chocolate hazelnut cookies are a treat for any tea, shower or holiday spread.
Serve plain or dipped in chocolate and more nuts.
I love plain buttery shortbread with a cup or coffee or tea. It’s like a comfort dessert. These chocolate hazelnut cookies are simply shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate with hazelnuts. The hazelnuts add great texture and taste. The hazelnut flavor is not just a hint. It’s prominent, especially if you sprinkle extra on top of the chocolate smear.
The hazelnut shortbread cookies are pretty simple to make and a nice addition to the holiday showcase.
Tailor To Your Taste
- Cookies are first formed into balls. You can flatten them into circles with the bottom of a glass or use fork tines to flatten and make criss-cross patterns. Or, cookies can also be formed into rectangles.
- Instead of spreading chocolate on half the cookies, you can dip half the cookie into melted chocolate or even drizzle on melted chocolate (white and dark).
- Use toasted walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts instead of hazelnuts.
- Skip the chocolate and extra nuts and just sprinkle the shortbread lightly with icing/powdered sugar.
Make-ahead chocolate hazelnut cookies
- These shortbread cookies can be made weeks ahead and frozen, when cooled completely, in a sealed container. If you want to store them in a sealed ziploc bag, you can store them plain, then add the chocolate and nuts (if desired) the day of or day before serving.
Other easy treats to make
- microwave brownie recipe (in 8 minutes)
- cinnamon puff pastry rolls
- puff pastry apple tart
- lime glazed easy shortbread cookies (30 min)
- crispy buttery lace cookies (30 min)
- chocolate rice crispy treats
- chocolate chip toffee cookies (25 min)
Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
These nutty, melt-in-your mouth chocolate hazelnut cookies are a treat for any tea, shower or holiday spread. Serve plain or dipped in chocolate and more nuts.
Servings: 40 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup softened butter (2 1/2 sticks)
- 1 1/3 cup icing/powdered sugar
- pinch salt (or 1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup ground toasted hazelnuts (NOTE 1)
Topping (optional)
- 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips or other chocolate for melting
- 1/2 cup ground toasted hazelnuts
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325F/163C. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- MAKE DOUGH: With electric beaters (or wooden spoon), beat butter. Add icing sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Gradually add flour a bit at a time, beating in until well incorporated. Stir in ground hazelnuts. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
- FORM COOKIES: Use your hands to make small balls (36-44) with the dough (about 1-1 1/2 inches diameter) and place them on the lined cookie sheet. Use bottom of small glass to lightly flatten each ball to about 1/3 inch thick. Dip glass bottom in flour periodically to avoid glass sticking to dough. (Alternatively, use tines of fork to flatten in criss-cross pattern).
- BAKE: Bake for 10-13 minutes until bottom of cookies are light brown. Tops remain fairly pale. Cool on racks. Note 2.
- ADD CHOCOLATE/NUT TOPPING (OPTIONAL): If desired, melt chocolate chips in glass pyrex measuring cup or bowl in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between. You will have to do this about 3 times. The last few pieces will melt on their own when you stir until creamy smooth. Use a knife to spread chocolate on half the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with ground hazelnuts. Instead of chocolate and nuts, you can dust cookies lightly with icing sugar.
Notes
- To make your own ground toasted hazelnuts: Heat oven to 350F. Place about 2 cups hazelnuts on lined baking pan. Roast for 10-15 minutes until fragrant. They will darken a shade. Don't let them burn. Let cool enough to handle. Over the pan, take a handful at a time and rub between two hands - skins will flake off. Alternatively, place in towel and rub together. Repeat with all hazelnuts. Don't worry if a bit of skin remains but try to get most off as skins can be bitter. Put in food processor and process until finely ground.
- Make Ahead/Freeze:Â These cookies can be made weeks ahead and frozen, when cooled completely, in a sealed container. If you want to store them in a sealed ziploc bag, you can store them plain, then add the chocolate and nuts (if desired) the day of or day before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?We'd love you to rate it above under 'rate this recipe' or in the comment section below. Thanks!
This recipe comes from An Italian In My Kitchen.
