Cacao Nib Hazelnut Cookies
These Cacao Nib Hazelnut Cookies are the perfect shortbread cookie. Lightly sweet, nutty, and crisp, with a punch of chocolate from the cacao nibs. Adapted from Alice Medrich's Cocoa Bean Pecan Cookies
Servings: 12 (Makes 2 dozen cookies)
Calories: 181kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup hazelnuts toasted and peeled (2.5 ounces)
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (8 tablespoons)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (2.6 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (.8 ounces)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cacao nibs (1 ounce)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (4.2 ounces)
Instructions
- Chop hazelnuts into small pieces.
- Cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla with a mixer until smooth.
- Stir in hazelnuts and cacao nibs.
- Add the flour, and stir just until incorporated.
- Scrape the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper, and use your hands to form the dough into a log that is 1 ½ inches in diameter.
- Wrap the log in the parchment paper, then twist both sides to close tightly.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, and preferably 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Unwrap log, and cut into ⅓-inch slices.
- Place shortbread slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, with an inch or two of space between cookies.
- Bake for 12 minutes, until golden brown on the edges.
- Let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet on a cooling rack, before moving the cookies themselves onto the rack.
Notes
Storage: Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Cookies taste even better the next day! Shortbread cookies keep really well, and these are no exception. They will easily stay crisp and delicious for at least a couple of weeks if you store them in an airtight container.
Make-Ahead: You can make the dough a couple of months in advance and freeze the parchment cookie logs. Then defrost in the refrigerator and proceed with the recipe when you’re ready to bake. If you just want to make them a few days in advance, the unbaked cookie logs will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Recipe Tips:
If you want to make two trays of cookies at once, put one on the top rack and one on the bottom rack of your oven. Then change places halfway through the bake time, rotating the sheets from back to front as well. To toast your own hazelnuts, heat the oven to 375 degrees and put the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast nuts for 10-15 minutes, until you can smell them, and the skins are starting to peel off. Remove from oven, then pour the hazelnuts into the middle of a clean dish towel and pull up the sides to twist together. Rub the hazelnuts against each other within the pouch of the kitchen towel, then open the towel. Pick out the toasted nuts, pulling off any extra skin. Not all of the skin will be removed, which is not a problem.
If you want to make two trays of cookies at once, put one on the top rack and one on the bottom rack of your oven. Then change places halfway through the bake time, rotating the sheets from back to front as well. To toast your own hazelnuts, heat the oven to 375 degrees and put the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast nuts for 10-15 minutes, until you can smell them, and the skins are starting to peel off. Remove from oven, then pour the hazelnuts into the middle of a clean dish towel and pull up the sides to twist together. Rub the hazelnuts against each other within the pouch of the kitchen towel, then open the towel. Pick out the toasted nuts, pulling off any extra skin. Not all of the skin will be removed, which is not a problem.
Nutrition
Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 237IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
