The CHRISTMAS HAZELNUT COOKIES are fragrant and crisp little sweets that can be enjoyed on their own or accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate, tea, or a cream, depending on the occasion and your craving. And if you really want to go all out, you can make an even more indulgent version by sandwiching them together with Nutella. Either way, you will delight your guests. If you want to make a few extra, these cookies are perfect as a cute Christmas gift for friends.
The charm of these treats comes from their simplicity and the rich, aromatic hazelnut flour, which releases its full flavor during baking and gives the palate a soft, slightly toasted taste. This makes these cookies perfect to pair with chocolate or zabaglione, to name two sweet sauces often found on holiday tables, at least in Northern Italy.
They take very little time and effort to prepare, as you will see. Few ingredients, a very simple dough and a quick bake. If you wish, as I did, spend a little time decorating them, perhaps using an embossed rolling pin with Christmas patterns. After all, we eat with our eyes first.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 22 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 112.33 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 12.40 (g) of which sugars 4.84 (g)
- Proteins 2.08 (g)
- Fat 6.42 (g) of which saturated 2.38 (g)of which unsaturated 1.34 (g)
- Fibers 0.38 (g)
- Sodium 3.51 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 24 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (00)
- 1 cup hazelnut flour (or toasted, chopped hazelnuts processed into flour)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 10 tbsp butter (cold (about 140 g, ≈1¼ US sticks))
- 1 egg (medium, at room temperature)
For the hazelnut Christmas cookies you will need
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Rolling pin classic
- 1 Rolling pin decorated
- 1 Baking sheet
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
- 1 Cookie cutter about 3.15 in (approx. 3 1/8 in)
Preparation of the Christmas hazelnut cookies
Making the HAZELNUT COOKIES is child’s play.
Start by toasting the hazelnuts in the oven at 356°F for 10 minutes or until they begin to sweat. Remove them from the oven and let them cool. Put them in the food processor with part of the granulated sugar and process until you obtain a flour. Alternatively, use ready-made hazelnut flour.
In a bowl combine the all-purpose flour, the hazelnut flour, the remaining sugar and mix. Add the butter cut into pieces and work everything quickly until you obtain a sandy dough.
Add the egg and combine.Once you have a compact dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
After this time, if the dough is too hard, knead it briefly so it reaches an even temperature, then roll it out on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 3/16 inch.
Now roll with the embossed rolling pin, applying a light and steady pressure so the design remains imprinted.With a 3.15 in (approx. 3 1/8 in) cookie cutter cut out the cookies and place them spaced apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Chill the cut shapes for about 15-20 minutes in the refrigerator or 10 minutes in the freezer so they keep their shape.Bake the hazelnut cookies in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F for about 15 minutes; they should not brown too much. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely.
