Hazelnut pinches cookies are rustic and crumbly sweets, with an intense aroma of toasted hazelnuts and homemade sugar.
This recipe comes from my mom’s old recipe notebook, full of pencil-written notes and secrets kept over time. When I made them again, the aroma that spread through the kitchen brought me back to those simple snacks, made with few ingredients and lots of love.
The appearance of these cookies isn’t the most perfect, but their irregular shape makes them special. They’re called pinches because to prepare them, you just need to take a small pinch of dough and place it on the baking sheet, without molds or shapes. In a few minutes in the oven, you get crumbly, light, and fragrant cookies, perfect to enjoy with coffee or a steaming cup of tea.
If you like simple and fragrant cookies, also try the ugly but good, crunchy and irresistible, always made with toasted hazelnuts.
Ready to prepare them together? Then let’s get our hands dirty!
See you soon, Susy
If you love making homemade cookies, also check out:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 30 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 114.21 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 13.31 (g) of which sugars 5.67 (g)
- Proteins 2.10 (g)
- Fat 6.38 (g) of which saturated 2.55 (g)of which unsaturated 3.65 (g)
- Fibers 0.68 (g)
- Sodium 4.34 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 25 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 for the Hazelnut Pinches
- 2 eggs (Medium size)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup toasted hazelnuts
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 lemon zest
- 1/4 packet baking powder
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Useful Tools to Prepare Hazelnut Pinches
- Baking tray
- Bowl
- Hand whisk
- Saucepan
How to Make Hazelnut Pinches
1. Prepare the toasted hazelnuts (1 cup): chop some coarsely and leave some whole, so the cookies will have a pleasant crunchy contrast inside.
2. Melt the butter (in the microwave or in a double boiler) and transfer it to a bowl. Add the eggs, sugar, and grated lemon zest, then mix well with a whisk or spatula.
3. Add the hazelnuts, then gradually add the flour and baking powder, mixing until the dough is soft but not sticky. If it is too sticky, add a handful of flour and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and, with your hands, take small pieces of dough by pinching to form the cookies.
5. Bake at 350°F for about 15/20 minutes, checking that they do not get too dark. They should remain light, crumbly, and very fragrant.
FABULOUS! 😍
Storage and Useful Tips
Hazelnut pinches cookies keep perfectly for up to 7 days in a tin box or a well-sealed glass container. I recommend keeping them away from heat and moisture sources to keep them crumbly and fragrant like freshly baked.
For a gluten-free version: replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking mix and use gluten-free certified baking powder.
For a delicious variant: add a handful of dark chocolate chips or finely chopped hazelnuts to the dough — they will be irresistible even for the little ones!
Susy’s Trick
To keep the cookies always crumbly and fragrant, put a sugar cube or a piece of dry bread in the box where you store them.
They will absorb excess moisture and the cookies will stay crispy like freshly baked!
A little home secret that always works… Susy guarantees it
If you like desserts with nuts, read my article dedicated to oily nuts: you’ll find tips, trivia, and lots of useful information to use them best in your desserts. 💛
