- Baci di Dama (Italian Hazelnut Cookies)
- ¾ cup hazelnuts, toasted and partially skinned
- ⅔ cup (3½ ounces) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces) sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
- 2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Toast the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet in a 350º oven until fragrant, 13 to 15 minutes, shaking the sheet halfway through toasting. To skin them, gather the warm hazelnuts in a dish towel and rub to remove some of the skins. A square-cornered metal baking pan works best for shaping the dough. If using a baking dish with rounded corners, be sure to square the corners of the dough before portioning. We prefer Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Bar for this recipe.
INSTRUCTIONS
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Line bottom of 8-inch square baking pan with parchment. Process hazelnuts, flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until hazelnuts are very finely ground, 20 to 25 seconds. Add butter and pulse until dough just comes together, 20 to 25 pulses.
Transfer dough to counter, knead briefly to form smooth ball, place in the refrigerator for an hour. Roll dough into small balls and evenly space 32 on each prepared sheet. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookies look dry and are fragrant (cookies will settle but not spread), about 20 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer sheet to wire rack and let cookies cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Microwave chocolate in small bowl at 50 percent power, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Let chocolate cool at room temperature until it is slightly thickened so that when topping the cookies the chocolate does not run out, about 10 minutes. Invert half of cookies on each sheet. Using ¼-teaspoon measure, spoon chocolate onto flat surfaces of all inverted cookies. Top with remaining cookies, pressing lightly to adhere. Let chocolate set for at least 15 minutes before serving. (Cookies can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.)
