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Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe

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Hazelnut Shortbread Recipe

It wasn't so long ago that the only time fresh hazelnuts (filberts) were sold in grocery stores was during the Christmas season. Even then they were only sold with other unshelled nuts to be broken apart with a nutcracker and eaten out of hand. Fortunately we have now begun to see raw shelled hazelnuts available, maybe not in all grocery stores, but certainly in specialty food stores and through mail order. 

Inside the shell of a hazelnut is a rich and buttery nut that is encased in a dark brown skin. Now this skin is quite bitter tasting and needs to be removed before the nuts can be used for baking. This is done by toasting the nuts until they are brown and fragrant and the skins start to peel away from the nuts. Once the toasted hazelnuts are removed from the oven they need to be wrapped in a clean dish towel and allowed to steam for a few minutes. This 'steaming' softens the skins of the hazelnuts so they will easily slip away from the nut. Once the hazelnuts have been left to cool they are now ready for your recipe. 

Hazelnut Shortbreads differs slightly from your basic shortbread in that we are using brown sugar, instead of white and unlike the Pecan Shortbreads where the nuts are left in pieces, here the hazelnuts are finely ground. This makes the hazelnut shortbread have a sandy texture and nutty taste. The prepared dough is pressed into two tart pans and scored lightly to produce wedge-shaped shortbreads that can be dipped in melted dark chocolate. Wedge-shaped shortbreads are also known as "petticoat tails" because the shape of the wedges are similar in shape to the bell-hoop petticoats worn by court ladies in the 12th century. And don't worry if the tips of the shortbreads break off. You are not alone. Dorothy Hartley once said (quoted from the Oxford Companion to Food by Alan Davidson) "Every cook knows how the pointed ends of cut cakes and biscuits break off - so, after several centuries of broken tips, someone evolved the cure: they cut a circle out of the centre before baking......"

To read more on Shortbread Cookies.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).  Place rack in center of oven.  Lightly grease (or spray with Pam) two - 8 or 9 -inch (20 or 23 cm) tart pans with removable bottoms. 

Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until brown and fragrant and the skins start to peel.   Remove from oven, place the warm hazelnuts in a clean dish towel, roll it up, and let the nuts steam for 5 minutes.  Briskly rub the nuts to remove most of their skins.  Set aside to let the nuts cool.

Place the hazelnuts and 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of the brown sugar in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped.  Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the flour, cornstarch (rice flour) and salt.  Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer, cream and butter and remaining brown sugar until smooth.  Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.  Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated.  Stir in the nut mixture.

Divide the dough in half.  Press each half evenly into the prepared tart pan   Using a sharp knife, score (make shallow lines) each shortbread into 16 even pieces.    Place in preheated oven and bake until deep golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Transfer shortbread to rack and cool for five minutes before removing from tart pan.    Place the shortbread round on a cutting board and cut each shortbread round into 16 wedges (along the lines scored).  Cool completely on a wire rack.

While the shortbread cools make the chocolate glaze.   In a stainless steel bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and shortening.   Stir until chocolate is smooth and completely melted.  Remove from heat.  Either dip each wedge into the chocolate or alternatively put the chocolate in a pastry bag fitted with a small tip or a paper cone and pipe chocolate in a decorative pattern.  Let stand until chocolate sets.  Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Makes 32 cookies

Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

 

 

Hazelnut Shortbreads:

1 cup (140 grams) hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed

3/4 cup (160 grams) light brown sugar

2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour

3 tablespoons (23 grams) cornstarch (corn flour) or rice flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze: (optional)

3 ounces (90 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vegetable shortening.

NOTE:  You can use two cake pans instead of tart pans, butter and flour pans well (or spray with Bakers Joy).  To remove shortbread from pans after having baked and cooled for 5 minutes, take a plate slightly smaller than the pan, place the plate  of the surface of the shortbread, and invert the shortbread carefully on it.  Reinvert the shortbread onto a cutting board and cut into 16 wedges (along score lines).  Cool on wire rack.

 

 
   

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