Chocolate and Hazelnut Sandwich cookies

About time, right?

My sincere apologies for not blogging for 3 whole weeks, truth is I thought it had only been just past one week since I wrote the Daring Baker's Crostata post.

But I'm gonna make it up to you right now. I sure am! Have a look at these.....:

I present to you Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies!

I found this recipe at a blog by the lovely Allison called Dolcetto Confections, all her posts are simply drool-worthy but once I saw the post on the Hazelnut cookies, I knew I just had to try it! So many reasons for wanting to try them now:

1. It's very cold outside, the best way to relax at home is a nice cup of coffee and a nutty chocolate cookie

2. they look so pretty when given as a gift, with a few being held together with ribbon

3. And the time was right because I was going to visit a friend the next day.

I wasn't wrong. Because I tried one.

They were so noticeably aromatic, the nutty smell was so perfect, so right...mmmmm....

I sooo could've had another one. But I didnt.

Well not then anyway because I was yet to sandwich them with the hazelnut-chocolate filling. Not that they need sandwiching, these cookies are just so scrummy all on their own!

And how was it? I hear you ask. It was the perfect combination. I mean you can ask anyone, even a stranger on the street (I would suggest you don't ask a stranger on the street) and they would tell you that hazelnut and chocolate go together like how salt and pepper go together, how cheese and tomato go together, how Laurel and Hardy go together - one always complements the other.

Mr WWW prefered them before they were sandwiched but he's not a sweet person (ppor guy, doesn't know what he's missing!). They were really delicious and would be well received by any sweet-loving person. My friend loved them and I would certainly have a stash of these in my kitchen all the time if I could.

Talking about cookies in the kitchen, if I listen really really carefully I can hear the stash of hazelnut cookies that are in my biscuit tin right now calling me..... Must dash!

Make sure to try these gorgeous cookies. xx

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

slightly adapted from Food & Wine & Dolcetto Confections

makes about 6 dozen cookies

  

Ingredients

2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and cooled

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 sticks (8oz) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (next time I will add just 1 cup of sugar instead to add a bit of saltiness)

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Nutella, for spreading

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit / 180 degrees celsius / gas mk 4. 
2. In a food processor, finely grind hazelnuts.  
3. In a medium bowl, whisk flour with the ground nuts, baking soda and salt.
4. In a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle, or using a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  
5. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla, scraping the side and bottom of the bowl.  
6. Beat in the dry ingredients at medium-low speed.
7. Divide the dough in half.  Pat each half into a round, wrap them in plastic and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
8.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out rounds as close together as possible. Arrange the rounds on large baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Re-roll scraps as needed.
9. Bake the cookies until golden, about 20 minutes.  Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
10. Sandwich the cooled cookies with Nutella or another chocolate spread.