Best Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipes

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.)

HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• If the hazelnuts are raw, toast them by spreading them out on a baking sheet and putting them in a 350 degree oven for ten minutes. Shake the pan a few times.
• Put the flour and the toasted hazelnuts in a food processor together and run until the hazelnuts are completely ground up (you are basically making hazelnut flour). Combining the nuts with the flour makes the whole process neater.
• Put all the ingredients into a large bowl.
• Mix by hand, quickly. Don't overmix. You may see flecks of butter, that's okay.
• Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and cool in the refrigerator for two hours or overnight.
• Work with half the dough at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated.
• Roll the dough into an oblong, and then cut quickly into equal size pieces, the size of a large walnut. Each piece should be rolled briefly between the palms and then put on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press a whole hazelnut into the cookie, fairly deeply.
• Bake ten minutes at 350 Fahrenheit. They should be very lightly browned when you take them out of the oven.
• Let sit until cool. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.

HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour and hazelnuts.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar.
• Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
• Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Lightly grease cookie sheets.
• On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4".
• Using cookie cutters, cut out the shapes and place on prepared cookie sheets 1-1/2" apart.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly colored.
• Transfer to wire racks to cool.

ITALIAN HAZELNUT ESPRESSO SHORTBREAD COOKIES RECIPE | EPICURIOUS.COM

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.)

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Roast the hazelnuts at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Once cool, crush or pulse them, so that they are finely ground. 2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Stir in the almond extract and 2 ounces of milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Working in batches, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Add the hazelnuts and mix until the dough comes together. If the dough is too dry and crumbly, add a few more ounces of milk. You want the dough to be dry, but not so dry that pieces are crumbling and breaking off. Dump the dough onto a floured board and shape into two disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. 3. Remove the first disk from the refrigerator. On a floured board, roll the disk so that it is ¼-inch thick. You do not want the dough too thick or the cookies will be very hard. Using a 3-inch fluted cutter, cut as many rounds as you can from the dough. Shape the scraps into a ball and re-roll the dough. Once again, cut as many rounds as you can from the dough using a 3-inch fluted cutter. If you want, re-roll the scraps one final time, cutting the dough with a 2 ½ -inch cutter. Place the rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a ½-inch cutter, cut a small circle out of the middle of half of the cookies. Repeat this process with the second disk of dough. Chill the rounds in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. 4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges of the cookies begin to brown. Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature, then generously spread the Nutella on the flat side of each cookie (those without the hole in the middle). Make a sandwich using the cookies with the cutout. Finally, lightly dust the tops of each cookie with confectioners' sugar. Serve!