German Hazelnut Cookies

I was on holiday last week but back to work, baking, and everything this week. I’m not at my full schedule at work yet, but my colleague started recently so I am there to hopefully get her acquainted with our campus. I wanted to make cookies for her first day and I made these and then I made another batch, which I ended up taking. This only made about 18 cookies, and that seemed like too few!

These cookies look a lot like pecan sandies, and I suppose they are, as they are shortbread cookies with chopped nuts. In this case, I used hazelnuts rather than pecans. These were labelled as holiday cookies, but I don’t really agree. I see many recipes that are labelled as Christmas cookies or holiday cookies, but I think that people don’t bake a lot and thus the baking they do is around the holidays and thus everything is a holiday cookie.

These cookies are very easy, chopping the hazelnuts is the hardest component. Use a food processor if you can, as that is so much easier than trying to chop round hazelnuts. You flatten these cookies like peanut butter cookies, but then top them with sprinkled nuts, so you can’t really see how they were flattened. Don’t forget to flatten them though! I like the nutty flavor of these cookies, nice and crunchy! I would have liked my hazelnuts to be just a touch fresher, but perhaps I am really picky.

German Hazelnut Cookies
142 grams whole hazelnuts
113 grams butter, room temperature
50 grams sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
128 grams flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Place the hazelnuts in a food processor. Pulse the hazelnuts about 10 times to chop them. Reserve 1/4 of the chopped hazelnuts for the cookie topping and set the remaining 3/4 of the hazelnuts aside.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until light. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix again to combine. With the mixer running on low, add the flour and salt and mix until almost combined. Add 3/4 of the chopped hazelnuts and stir to combine.

Shape the dough into 18 balls and place on the prepared cookie sheets. Using a fork, press the cookie down in two directions to flatten (similar to the crisscross you see on flattened peanut butter cookies). Top the cookies with the remaining chopped hazelnuts, pressing the hazelnut slightly into the dough to help them stick.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes. The edges of the cookies will be golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from International Desserts Blog