Baci di Dama – Lady’s Kisses Cookies
from bakeat350.net
Diminutive, crisp, and nutty hazelnut cookies are sandwiched together with a kiss of bittersweet chocolate.
YIELD: 32 sandwich cookies
PREP TIME: 45 minutes
BAKE TIME: 10 minutes
1 cup raw hazelnuts (or pre-roasted, unsalted hazelnuts)
1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Imperial Sugar Extra-Fine Granulated Sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
[Note: Remove as much of the hazelnut skins as possible, but it’s not necessary to remove every bit. The skins will add flecks of color that make these cookies beautiful and unique.]
Preheat oven to 350. Pour hazelnuts onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until fragrant. Remove nuts from the pan and place in a dishtowel. Rub vigorously while warm to remove as much of the hazelnut skins as possible. Discard skins and set nuts aside to cool.
Line cookie sheet with parchment. Once the hazelnuts have cooled, place in a food processor with the flour, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Process until the nuts are finely ground. Add butter chunks and vanilla bean paste and continue processing until the dough starts to clump together. It will still be a bit crumbly.
Dump dough onto a work surface and press together to form a cohesive dough. Use a kitchen scale to divide into four equal portions. Press and roll each portion into a long cigar shape, about 1 inch thick. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Working one piece at a time, unwrap dough and cut into 16 sections using a sharp paring knife. Roll into balls and place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until baked through. Let rest on the baking sheet at least five minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Once the cookies have cooled, melt the chocolate in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second intervals. Stir after each interval. Reduce the time as needed, being careful not to overheat. Let chocolate cool five minutes, then pour into a piping bag.
Snip the tip and squeeze a small dollop of melted chocolate onto
the bottoms of half of the cookies. Press another cookie on top. Place
cookies sideways on the cooling rack to set for 30 minutes before serving.