Hazelnut Cookies

HollyGolightly's Note:

A simple yet tasty 4-ingredient recipe from Gourmet Magazine, May 2004. I like to have this in my mix of holiday cookies because it's so low-maintenance. Prep time includes chill time. Also good dipped in chocolate rather than sugar.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 40 cookies

• 1/2 cup hazelnuts (2 oz)
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Toast hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan until fragrant and skins begin to loosen, about 6 minutes. Rub nuts in a kitchen towel to remove any loose skins (some skins may not come off) and cool to room temperature.
3. Pulse nuts and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until nuts are finely ground, then add flour and a pinch of salt, pulsing until combined. Add butter and pulse until dough just forms a ball. Divide dough in half, then roll dough on a work surface lightly dusted with sugar and flour into 2 (11-inch-long) logs (each about 1 inch wide). Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, 1 hour.
4. Cut logs crosswise into 1/2-inch slices and arrange rounds 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets.
5. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until bottom edges just begin to turn pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on sheet 2 minutes. Place remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a small dish and dip tops of cookies in it, then cool sugared cookies on a rack.
6. Cooks' notes: Dough can be chilled up to 12 hours or frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap, up to 1 month. (Thaw before cutting and baking.) Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks.

Reviews

[NorthwestGal]

These were the most incredible cookie. It has a shortbread base with a distinct hazelnut flavor, which I will make often. They're a little more labor intense than most cookie recipes I make (mostly dealing with preparing, roasting, and peeling skins off the hazelnuts), but it was well worth it. Thanks, HollyGolightly. I loved them!