Hazelnut Mocha Morsels

These tender cookies, with a crunchy nut pressed on top of each one, come from Better Homes and Gardens' book "Old-Fashioned Home Baking."

• Ready In: 23 mins
• Serves: 42
• Yields: 42 cookies

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 teaspoon instant coffee crystals
• 1  tablespoon milk
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  cup margarine or 1  cup butter
• 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2  egg yolks
• 42 -44  hazelnuts or 42 -44  pecans or 42 -44  walnut halves
• 1⁄2 cup  sifted powdered sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 -3  teaspoons hazelnut-flavored liqueur or 2 -3  teaspoons milk

Directions

1. In a cup, dissolve coffee crystals in milk. Add vanilla and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine or butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for about 30 second or until softened.
3. Add about half of the flour to the margarine. Then add sugar, cocoa powder, egg yolks, and coffee mixture. Beat until thoroughly combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Then beat or stir in the remaining flour. If necessary, cover and chill dough until it is easy to handle.
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press a hazelnut or a pecan or walnut half in the center of each ball.
5. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are firm. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack.
6. To make icing: In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients to make an icing of drizzling consistency.
7. Drizzly icing over cookies.