The Cure-All Cookie
Two buttery, hazelnut cookies sandwiched with dark chocolate – is there anything this classic combination can’t solve?
Sometimes, you just need a cookie. Well I’m here to tell you: this cookie has you covered.
And if you thought to yourself, “Sometimes?! That seems oddly infrequent.” Wonderful! We can be friends.
With a rich layer of dark chocolate sandwiched between buttery hazelnut shortbread, these Italian Baci de Dama cookies can basically solve all of your problems. An indulgent addition to morning coffee, a quick bite to get you through the next meeting, or a reward after a long day, these little cookies are pure indulgence. They have officially become the best part of my mornings (and afternoons…and nights) and will soon be the highlight of yours.
But don’t take my word for it, bake a batch yourself!
Recipe
*Word of warning: most of my baking recipes are measured in grams. I could blame the Great British Bake-Off, but honestly the ratios are just simpler and it’s logical and my kitchen scale is one of the most useful pieces of equipment ever acquired. But I digress. Anyways, all measurements are converted into the Imperial System (ugh) in parentheses. Happy baking!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
For the cookies:
- 100 g (2/3 cup) hazelnuts
- 100 g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
- 100 g (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour sifted
- 85 g (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) granulated sugar
For the filling:
- 50 g (1.8 ounces) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chopped
WHAT YOU’LL DO
ROAST THE HAZELNUTS
*If you do not wish to endure the emotional rollercoaster of carefully watching your hazelnuts to prevent them from burning you can simply buy roasted hazelnuts. Some may say this “diminishes the flavor.” I say live your life! If you choose to roast (I applaud your courage), watch those hazelnuts!
- Preheat the oven to 325 F
- Arrange the hazelnuts on a non-stick baking sheet (you can also use a piece of parchment paper or foil)
- Roast for 15-20 minutes, until fragrant and golden-brown
- Remove the hazelnuts from the oven, and rub them in a kitchen towel to loosen the skins (do not panic if some skins remain stuck). Let them cool.
- Pulse hazelnuts in a food processor until mixture resembles sand
MIX THE DOUGH
- Transfer the hazelnuts to a large mixing bowl
- Add the flour, butter, and sugar
- Mix all the ingredients together until the butter is evenly distributed and the dough is smooth
CHILL OUT
- Shape the dough into a circle, wrap in clingfilm
- Chill in the fridge for 1 hour
- Remove dough from fridge, and shape into 8 gram dough balls
- Arrange dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Chill in the fridge for 1 hour (yes, again)
BAKE AND FILL
- Preheat oven to 325 F while dough is chilling
- Bake for 15 minutes, until just set and are lightly golden
- Cool completely on kitchen counter
- Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave (again, live your life!) Let it cool and thicken slightly
- Assemble your cookies by adding a dollop of thickened chocolate on one cookie and pressing another on top. Let sandwiched cookies set until chocolate is firm. (It is normal to lose some cookies to impulsive taste-testing at this stage)
ENJOY!
- Devour cookies. Eat them with coffee, eat them for dessert, eat them for breakfast.
- Store cookies (if any remain) in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week
Played a little with this recipe and made it with pecans instead of hazelnuts. Delicious!