Cheaters Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies Food

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let cool. Transfer the hazelnuts to a resealable plastic bag and finely crush with a rolling pin.
• Whisk the crushed hazelnuts with the flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg, then the milk, then the hazelnut liqueur, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined (the consistency will be more like a thick batter than a cookie dough).
• Transfer the dough to a large resealable plastic bag. Cut a 1/2-inch opening at one corner. Pipe 1-inch mounds about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared pans. Tap each pan on the counter a few times to flatten the mounds slightly. Sprinkle half of the mounds with coarse sugar (these will be the tops).
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are flattened and the edges are golden, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the pans, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Sandwich the chocolate-hazelnut spread between the cookies.

CHEWY PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Beat sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter in large mixing bowl on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir in rolled oats, flour, coconut, baking powder and baking soda until well blended.
• DROP dough by tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown around edges. Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
• SPREAD 2 teaspoons chocolate hazelnut spread on bottom side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat side down, to form sandwich cookies.

HAZELNUT MERINGUE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes; let cool, then finely chop. Reduce the oven temperature to 225 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat in the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Add the chopped hazelnuts and sift in the confectioners' sugar.
• Fold together with a rubber spatula.
• Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 2-inch rounds about 1 inch apart on the prepared pans, keeping the pastry tip close to the pan.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the meringues are dry and release from
• the parchment, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Turn off the oven; leave the meringues inside for 30 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar and salt in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium high and beat in the vanilla; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Dollop 1 teaspoon filling and 1/2 teaspoon jelly on the flat side of half the meringues. Top with the remaining meringues.

HAZELNUT SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a food processor, pulse hazelnuts with 1/4 cup flour mixture until very finely ground. Add remaining flour mixture and process to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks and vanilla and pulse until dough just comes together. Form dough into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between floured parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Stack dough in parchment on a baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes. With a lightly floured 2 1/2-inch fluted round cutter, cut out dough. (If dough becomes too soft, refrigerate a few minutes; reroll scraps, if desired.) Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. With a 1-inch cutter, cut out dough in centers of half the cookies. Bake until cookies just begin to brown at edges, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. If desired, bake small cutouts separately, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely.
• Lightly sift confectioners' sugar over cutout tops. Spread about 2 teaspoons chocolate or jam on bottoms of remaining cookies and sandwich with sugar-dusted tops.