Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Food

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Chop the hazelnuts and the chocolate and set aside. I use the toasted hazelnuts from Trader Joe's. If you are using raw hazelnuts, toast the nuts at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes until lightly browned.
• Place the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl and add all the flour at once. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix until all the flour is just combined. The dough will be crumbly at this point. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough has completely come together. Add the hazelnuts and the chopped chocolate and mix on low speed until they are well combined into the dough.
• Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface. You can turn it out onto a large piece of parchment paper or Silpat. Use your hands to shape the dough into a rectangle and lightly flour the top of the dough. Do not use too much flour, just enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking.
• Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on parchment lined cookie sheet about 1-inch apart. Prick each cookie in the center with a fork. Pricking the cookies will ensure they bake in the center.
• Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Chilling the dough will help the cookies hold their shape when baking.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt. Bake the cookies for 25-30 minutes. The bottom of the cookies will be lightly golden brown.
• Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them to a cookie rack to completely cool.
• The cookies can be stored in a container for about 1 week.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter, Nutella and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg. In another bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Add hazelnuts; mix well., Divide dough in half; shape each into a disk. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/4-in. scalloped round cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until bottoms are light brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk together flour and salt. Start with 2 ¼ cups of flour, once the dough is combined if needed add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
• In a the mixing bowl cream the butter, then slowly add sugar and vanilla and beat, slowly add the whisked flour and continue to beat, stir in the ground hazelnuts. Refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat oven to 325F (160C). Line 1-2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and form into golf ball size balls, place on the prepared cookie sheets, lightly flatten (not too thin) with the bottom of a glass (lightly floured so dough doesn't stick)**.
• Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheets, then move to wire racks to cool completely before dipping or drizzling with melted chocolate.
• Melt the chocolate either bain marie or with the microwave, either dip half of the cookie or spread half of cookie with chocolate (I spread the top half of the cookie), or drizzle with the chocolate if you prefer, sprinkle the ground hazelnuts on top of the chocolate. If you prefer plain then you could also sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!
• **Make balls a little larger and flatten to a thicker size, if you want thicker cookies.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place hazelnuts on baking sheet. Bake until they're a shade darker and fragrant, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• Lower oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place hazelnuts in blender or food processor and pulse to coarse bits; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt to blend; set aside.
• Beat butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in egg. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Add the chopped hazelnuts and mix until distributed evenly throughout.
• Form into long cookies and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on racks.
• In a saucepan over lowest heat or in a double boiler, melt chocolate. Dip 1 end of cooled cookies into melted chocolate. Place back on cookie sheet to harden.

ESPRESSO, HAZELNUT & CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Mix the espresso powder with 1 tsp hot water to form a paste (you'll think it isn't enough water but it is - don't add more otherwise it'll be too watery). Set aside.
• Beat the butter and sugar until soft and blended, then beat in the coffee mixture. Don't overbeat the mixture as you don't want to incorporate too much air. (If the coffee isn't completely incorporated, don't worry - it will be once you add the flours).
• Sift together the flours and add them to the butter in three lots, mixing in with a wooden spoon and, eventually, your hands. Bring together into a ball, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and quickly knead in the hazelnuts. Don't overdo this - you don't want the butter to get too warm. Press the dough into a circle, wrap it in cling film and put in the fridge for about 40 mins.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 0.75cm thick. Cut out circles about 6cm across with a biscuit cutter and put the circles on a non-stick baking sheet (or two baking sheets, depending on their size). Re-roll the dough as you need to, but try not to do this too often. Put the baking sheets in the coldest part of the fridge and leave them for about 45 mins. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Bake the shortbread for 20 mins, or until the top is just firm when you press it with your index finger. Take out of the oven and leave on the baking sheets to cool for a while (it is very fragile when hot), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then remove the bowl and leave to cool a little and rm up somewhat. Dip each piece of shortbread halfway in the melted chocolate, then put on a sheet of baking parchment. Sprinkle the toasted hazelnuts on the chocolate half and leave to set completely. Will keep for 4 days in an airtight tin.

HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD STICKS

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture until just combined.
• Shape dough by tablespoonfuls into 3-inch-long logs. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies until light golden brown around edges, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool cookies completely.
• Stir milk chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Place 1/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts in small bowl. Dip 1 end of cookie into melted chocolate, then into coarsely chopped hazelnuts. Return to rack. Repeat with remaining cookies. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour. (Cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• If the hazelnuts are raw, toast them by spreading them out on a baking sheet and putting them in a 350 degree oven for ten minutes. Shake the pan a few times.
• Put the flour and the toasted hazelnuts in a food processor together and run until the hazelnuts are completely ground up (you are basically making hazelnut flour). Combining the nuts with the flour makes the whole process neater.
• Put all the ingredients into a large bowl.
• Mix by hand, quickly. Don't overmix. You may see flecks of butter, that's okay.
• Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and cool in the refrigerator for two hours or overnight.
• Work with half the dough at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated.
• Roll the dough into an oblong, and then cut quickly into equal size pieces, the size of a large walnut. Each piece should be rolled briefly between the palms and then put on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press a whole hazelnut into the cookie, fairly deeply.
• Bake ten minutes at 350 Fahrenheit. They should be very lightly browned when you take them out of the oven.
• Let sit until cool. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.