Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

Another recipe for my Christmas cookie tray...I really love the flavor of the toasted hazelnuts combined with the dark chocolate.  I made a couple of different shapes, logs, squares and circles, just for variation...the squares were the easiest, just spread the dough onto the cookie sheet, bake and slice after removing from the oven.

hazelnut shortbread

Ingredients:

1  cup husked hazelnuts 

1  1/2 cups flour 

1/2  teaspoon baking powder 

1/2  teaspoon salt  

1/2 cup butter, room temperature 

1/3  cup sugar 

1  egg 

1  teaspoon vanilla extract 

4  ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate (I used Lindtt 59%)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC)

Toast hazelnuts on cookie sheet about 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Lower heat to 325ºF (160ºC).

Place hazelnuts in blender or food processor and pulse to coarse bits; set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt to blend; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until smooth.

Beat in egg.

Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture.

Add the chopped hazelnuts and mix.
Chill dough in refridgerator for about 30 minutes.

Form into finger sized logs, about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons dough each, and place on parchment lined cookie sheets. (Or, roll into smaller sized balls, and press with the back of a glass, or spread dough onto a cookie sheet evenly.)

Bake until firm, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on racks.

Melt chocolate over a double boiler and dip half of each cookie into the chocolate.

Place on parchment to dry.

Store in refridgerator.