beautifully buttery, crumbly shortbread cookies, filled with chopped toasted hazelnuts then dipped in dark chocolate
Hi everyone! Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Cookie season is right now! It starts right after Thanksgiving, and it’s just a lovely excuse to get baking and share our treats with people we love. What could be better, I ask you? I’m so excited that these Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies because they are an absolute family favorite!
We all know that chocolate and hazelnut are a real match made in heaven. But, something kind of magical happens when you add buttery shortbread into the mix! These may look familiar, and that’s because my Pistachio Shortbread Cookies are very similar. The beauty of a great base recipe is getting the science (proportions, texture, flavor) right, then you can play by adjusting the flavors however you like. If you wanted to add toasted walnuts or pecans, you can totally do that!
The easy way to temper chocolate
“Tempering” chocolate is the semi-scary word that gets people nervous. Hi. Don’t be nervous. Tempering basically means heating chocolate, cooling it off, then heating it again. Why is it important to temper chocolate? Because you’re looking for that beautiful glossy shine and nice snap. Most importantly, use very high quality chocolate! I highly recommend Valrhona Chocolate. There are several different ways to temper chocolate, but here’s my favorite:
- Fill a small pan with 1 inch of water, and bring the water to a rolling simmer. Set a metal or glass bowl on top of it. Take 3/4 of your chopped chocolate and place it in the bowl. Stir until the chocolate is mostly melted, remove from the heat.
- Throw the remaining chocolate in, and whisk to combine. By adding more chocolate at the end, you’re cooling down the mixture, but it will still be liquid, and perfect for dipping.
How to get perfectly round shortbread cookies
Ok, here’s the next thing that may not seem like a big deal, but it kind of is. Getting nicely round cookies is not only pleasing to the eyes, it also ensures that all of the cookies are going to bake evenly throughout, and at the same time/temperature. Once you roll the dough into a log in either wax paper, or plastic wrap, you want to roll it as much as you can to be nice and round. Then you put the dough in the freezer for about 15 minutes, and take it out and roll it again. This ensures no flat sides from where the dough sits in the freezer.
Alright guys, get baking! These adorable little cookies look a little fancy and super festive. Most of all, they’ll make whoever you share them with feel very loved! Love this recipe, but want to save it for later? Just tap on any of the images, and click the “Pin It” button to save it to your favorite Pinterest boards.
Lion’s Bread signing off, xoxo
Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread
Ingredients
- 1 c 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 c powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 c all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c toasted chopped toasted hazelnuts (if you have raw hazelnuts, roast them on a baking sheet for 12 minutes at 350*F then cool to room temp)
- 4 oz. chopped dark chocolate at least 70%
- 1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts for decorating optional
Instructions
- In a food processor, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl + hand held mixer), combine the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium-low until combined and creamy, about 1 1/2 minutes.
- Add the flour and chopped hazelnuts, and mix until just combined, and the dough starts to clump together, another 2 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a cutting board, and form into a flat disc with your (very clean) hands. Cut the dough in half. Form each half into a 9″ long log. Wrap each log into plastic wrap, and freeze for 30 minutes until firm. Remove the dough after 15 minutes, and roll again to get a nice round shape (no flat sides!)
- Preheat your oven to 350*F. Remove the dough from freezer, and unwrap.
- Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the dough into 1/3″ thick slices. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (VERY IMPORTANT so they don’t stick!). I usually fit about 20 cookies on a baking sheet, since they don’t spread out much. For best, even results, bake the sheets one at a time.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet 180* halfway through.Let the cookies cool COMPLETELY. Option to freeze dough logs for up to 2 months. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate. Fill a small pot with water, about 1-inch deep, and bring to a rolling simmer. Place a small heatproof bowl on top of the pot. Put 3/4 of the chocolate in the bowl, stirring until it almost completely melts. Remove from heat. Add remaining chocolate to the bowl, and whisk in until the chocolate is totally melted and smooth.
- Dip the cookies in the chocolate, and place back on the parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with finely chopped hazelnuts. Allow the chocolate to completely set, about 30 minutes.
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