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Bake your new favorite treat today: hazelnut shortbread cookies. I promise you’ll be saying, “chocolate chip who?”
Picture this: buttery toasted hazelnuts dotted throughout a rich shortbread cookie, topped with a drizzle of chocolate and sea salt.
Hazelnuts may just be my favorite nut (shhhh, don’t tell the pecans). They’re rich and buttery, they are great both sweet and savory, and they pair so perfectly with chocolate.
Hazelnut shortbread cookies can be made in advance, just slice, bake, and drizzle and you’re ready to go. The chilled dough can even be frozen and ready at a moments notice. I know I’ll be tripling my next batch to be sure to have some stocked up.
Tips for Successful Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies:
- For super simple cleanup, use my favorite baking mats from Amazon.
- Adding a bit of flour while processing the nuts helps keep it from becoming hazelnut butter.
- It’s important to let the nuts cool fully before adding them to the batter. Without this step, the nuts will melt the butter and keep the cookies from becoming a nice shortbread texture.
Other Favorite Nutty Desserts:
- Chocolate coffee pecan tart
- Maple pecan cheesecake
- Chocolate pecan cookie bars
- Chocolate peanut butter tart
- Chocolate peanut butter cup mini cupcakes
Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 dozen cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw blanched hazelnuts
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- flaky sea salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for approximately 10 minutes, until darkened, shiny, and fragrant. Allow to fully cool before continuing.
- Put the toasted nuts in a food processor with a 1/4 cup flour and pulse until ground with just a few small pieces remaining. Combine the ground hazelnuts, remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, and kosher salt in a small bowl and whisk together.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg yolk, and continue mixing until combined. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Transfer the dough onto a work surface. Divide into two pieces, then shape each piece into a thick log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days.
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Unwrap one of the dough logs and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick round cookies. Sprinkle each cookie lightly with the sea salt.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden brown, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Allow the pan to cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing the cookies. Allow cookies to cool completely.
- Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Repeat until smooth.
- Drizzle each cookie with a spoonful of chocolate and additional sea salt.
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