Krista came up with the notion that it might be interesting to get a group of folks together to bake and blog each week. This week was Marta's turn to select the recipe. A group of us on Slow Travel are going to do just that. Each participant selects a recipe from the cookbook and we all work our way through it. Today is the ninth entry in our baking challenge (I missed a few good ones while we wer ein Italy it would appear) as we continue to work our way through Dolce Italiano by Gina DePalma (who also happens to be a member of the slowtravel community).
These cookies are incredible! They bring back memories of Piemonte where chocolate and hazelnuts are often ground together to make many wonderful treats from cookies, to cakes, to chocolates, to gelato, to Nutella! In fact, the treat I'me bringing back for my assistant is a huge bar of chocolate filled with toasted hazelnuts.
Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies
Makes 5 dozen
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetend Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, skinned or unskinned
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, for dusting
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Place the hazelnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse them 2 or 3 times to chop them medium-fine. Add the hazelnuts to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine them.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract and scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients, followed by the chocolate, and beat just until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325. Lightly grease two baking sheets with nonstick cookign spray or butter or line them with parchment.
Place the confectioner's sugar in a shallow bowl. To form the cookies, roll 1 scant tablespoon of dough into a 1 inch ball, then flatten it slightly with your fingertips to form a small disk. Roll the cookie in the confectioner's sugar to coat evenly and place it on the baking sheet. Repeat until all of the dough is used, spacing the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
Bake until the cookies are puffed and cracking, 8 to 10 mintues. Rotate the baking sheets 180 degrees halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them gently to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, dust them with additional confectioner's sugar.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment paper, and kept in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week.
You can check out what the other slow bakers have come up with at their blogs ((although I do believe some are travelling this week):
Destination Anywhere
In and Out of the Garden
Keep Your Feet in the Street
My Place in the Sun
Old Shoes, New Trip
Palmabella's Passions
Postcards From the Trail
What I Really Think
Happy Trails For Us: My Reluctant Blog
Whistlestop Cafe Cooking
Baked Alaska
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