Hazelnut Cookies

These nutty, melt-in-your mouth Hazelnut Cookies are a treat for any tea, shower or holiday spread. Serve plain or with chocolate and more nuts.

I love plain buttery shortbread with a cup or coffee or tea.  It’s like a comfort dessert.  These hazelnut cookies are simply shortbread cookies 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 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 Hazelnut Cookies

• 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.

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Hazelnut Cookies

These nutty, melt-in-your mouth Hazelnut Cookies are a treat for any tea, shower or holiday spread. Serve plain or with chocolate and more nuts.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Total Time37 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Italian

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 tsp 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. 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

1. 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.
2. Make Ahead/Freeze: 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.

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This recipe comes from An Italian In My Kitchen.