Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies Food

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-HAZELNUT SMOOCHES: BACI D'ALASSIO

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer in a shallow pan and place them in the preheated oven, turning every now and again, until lightly toasted and the skins begin to blister, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Then, working in batches, rub them between the palms of your hands until the skins loosen and fall away. (This will take some time and not every bit of skin will rub off.) Chop the hazelnuts coarsely.
• Using a nut mill, blender, or a food processor fitted with the metal blade, grind the hazelnuts to a fine powder. (If the nuts do become oily, pass them through a sieve to break up any lumps.) Place in a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar.
• Add the butter, cocoa, honey, and vanilla and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add the egg whites, a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add only enough of the whites for the dough to take on the consistency of a loose paste or spritz cookie dough. Do not worry if all of the egg whites are not used.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or grease them with butter. Spoon the hazelnut mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a No. 6 star tip. Pipe out rosettes 1 inch in diameter onto the prepared sheets, spacing the rosettes about 1 1/2 inches apart. You should have about 60 rosettes in all. Let the rosettes sit, uncovered, at room temperature overnight.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until firm to the touch but still moist inside, 8 to 10 minutes. When they are done they will not brown and may even look undercooked, so you must test by touch. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler placed over simmering water. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Gently turn half of the cookies top sides down on a flat surface and spread about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate on each of the upturned bottoms. As each cookie is coated, press a plain cookie onto the chocolate, bottom side down, to form a "sandwich". Lay the cookies on their sides on a tray or flat plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes to set the chocolate. Store in a covered container, at room temperature, for up to 1 week.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and the flour. Add the eggs, hazelnuts, chocolate chips, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir well. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 1 hour.
• Cool the tart for at least 30 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN HAZELNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Roast the whole hazelnuts (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon and the 20 whole hazelnuts) for about 5-6 minutes. Move them to a clean bowl, remove 20 hazelnuts and set aside. The remaining hazelnuts place in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (see photo). Set aside.
• In the bowl of the mixer cream the butter and sugar until fluffy about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the flour, chopped nuts, egg yolk, milk and vanilla. Mix just until combined into a dough.
• Either place the dough in a pastry bag with a large star tip or drop by heaping teaspoonfuls (or half and half) on the prepared cookie sheets. Place a roasted whole hazelnut on each cookie round and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden. Let cool 10-15 minutes on the cookie sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

ITALIAN HAZELNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Position 2 racks as close to the center of the oven as possible; preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
• Pulse nuts and sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Scrape into a large bowl.
• Beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the nut mixture. Add vanilla and gently but thoroughly mix until combined.
• Drop the batter by the tablespoons 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake the cookies until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through.
• Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
• Gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• When the baking sheets are thoroughly cooled, repeat with the remaining batter.
• NOTE: TO TOAST AND SKIN HAZELNUTS.
• TO TOAST: Cook sliced or chopped nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Toast whole hazelnuts on a baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes.
• TO SKIN: Let the nuts cool for a few minutes, then rub together in a clean kitchen towel to remove most of the papery skins.

HAZELNUT ESPRESSO FINGERS IN CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place hazelnuts in a food processor; cover and process until ground. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in espresso powder and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in hazelnuts., Shape scant tablespoonfuls of dough into 2-in. logs. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip each cookie halfway into chocolate mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE-FILLED HAZELNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Grind nuts with confectioners sugar in a food processor until powdery (be careful not to process to a paste).
• Beat together butter, zest, salt, and nut mixture in a large bowl with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until creamy, then add flour, stirring until just incorporated (do not overwork).
• Roll level 1/2 teaspoons of dough into tiny balls (the size of marbles) and arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until very pale golden, 12 to 14 minutes, then slide parchment with cookies onto a rack to cool completely.
• Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Spoon melted chocolate into a small plastic bag and seal bag, forcing out excess air. Snip off 1 bottom corner of bag with scissors to form a small hole.
• Pipe a small mound (about 1/8 teaspoon) of melted chocolate onto flat sides of 10 cookies, then top with 10 more cookies, pressing flat sides together to help adhere. Repeat procedure with remaining cookies.

ITALIAN HAZELNUT ESPRESSO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend flour, brown sugar, cornstarch, 1 tablespoon espresso powder and salt in processor. Add butter and vanilla. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add nuts; blend until finely chopped. Transfer dough to floured work surface. Knead just until dough comes together.
• Divide dough in half. Press each half into 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer shortbread to rack; cool 2 minutes. Remove pan sides.
• Cut each shortbread round into 24 wedges. Cool completely.
• Mix 2 tablespoons hot water and remaining 1 teaspoon espresso powder in small saucepan. Add chocolate. Stir over medium-low heat until chocolate is smooth. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate mixture over cookies. Let stand until chocolate sets. (Can be prepared ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.)

ITALIAN HAZELNUT COOKIES WITH NUTELLA® HAZELNUT SPREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together hazelnuts, flour and sugar. Mix in butter, egg yolk and salt until combined. Form into ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Roll dough into 48 small balls, about 2 tsp each. Arrange balls, about 2 inches apart, on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
• Bake, in batches, for about 18 minutes or until just set and lightly golden brown. Let cool completely on cooling rack.
• Spread or pipe 1 tsp Nutella® hazelnut spread over the bottoms of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies.

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in mascarpone cheese, sour cream, lime juice and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into crust. Place on a baking sheet., Bake 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack., Meanwhile, for topping, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chips; stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature or until mixture thickens to a spreading consistency, stirring occasionally., Spread chocolate mixture over pie; refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, top with hazelnuts.