Buchanan's Favorite Hazelnut Cookies - Makes about 3 dozen 2-inch cookies.
FOODday October 25, 2005
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups toasted, skinned and ground hazelnuts (see note)
2 cups cake flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and hazelnuts. Stir in the flour. Pat or roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into rounds or rectangles or squares of desired size. With metal spatula, gently place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies cool completely before removing from the sheet or they'll break. These cookies improve in flavor after a few days. They freeze beautifully. too.
In a microwave or the top half of a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Dip up to a half of each cookie into the chocolate. Let the excess drip off and then place on wax paper to dry the chocolate. Store in covered containers.
Note: To toast hazelnuts, spread the shelled nuts in a shallow pan and roast in a 350 degree oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or until golden and skins crack. To remove skins, rub nuts while warm with a rough cloth. Grind n a food processor until very fine, but don't overprocess or it will turn into butter.
Posted by Chrissie at January 25, 2006 03:19 PM