Mezzalunas Italian Hazelnut Cookies Food

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 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.

MEZZALUNAS (ITALIAN HAZELNUT COOKIES)

Steps:

• To prepare the hazelnuts, toast them in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven (leaving the temperature set at 350 degrees) and place them in a kitchen towel. Rubbing the towel between both hands, rub the nuts to remove the skins.
• Place the nuts and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the flour and pulse briefly to mix. Break the butter into pieces, and add this into the food processor and pulse briefly until the dough is just blended. Stir mixture together by hand until well incorporated.
• On a lightly floured surface, pinch off 1-1/2 inch pieces and form into balls. Next shape these balls into a crescent shape. Roll the crescents carefully into a bowl of sugar to lightly coat. Place the crescents on a lightly buttered baking sheet 1 inch apart. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies just begin to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, store in an airtight container. These cookies will keep two weeks in a cool place. May be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months.

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 COOKIES

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Toast hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan until fragrant and skins begin to loosen, about 6 minutes. Rub nuts in a kitchen towel to remove any loose skins (some skins may not come off) and cool to room temperature.
• Pulse nuts and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until nuts are finely ground, then add flour and a pinch of salt, pulsing until combined. Add butter and pulse until dough just forms a ball. Divide dough in half, then roll dough on a work surface lightly dusted with sugar and flour into 2 (11-inch-long) logs (each about 1 inch wide). Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, 1 hour.
• Cut logs crosswise into 1/2-inch slices and arrange rounds 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets.
• Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until bottom edges just begin to turn pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on sheet 2 minutes. Place remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a small dish and dip tops of cookies in it, then cool sugared cookies on a rack.