What do you do when all you can think of is your favourite chocolate Baci (see here)!!!!!

So this recipe is inspired by those wonderful chocolates, and in my mind are a baked version with the flavour reminiscent of that delicious hazelnut and chocolate combination.

These cookies are very easy to make, but if you want them to look like the picture (white coating on a dark inside) then there are a couple of things to be mindful of.

Firstly, after a couple of attempts, I discovered that the only way to allow the icing sugar to properly coat the cookie whilst it bakes, is to roll the cookie dough first in caster sugar, and then roll it liberally (and I mean liberally) in icing sugar.   The caster sugar creates a barrier between the cookie and the icing sugar, so that once the cookie is baked the icing sugar will remain white and not “melt” onto the cookie, creating a marbling effect which looks more grey than white.  So my advice is:

• Coat the cookies in caster sugar first;  then
• Coat them liberally in icing sugar before placing onto the baking tray.

The quantities for the sugar “coatings” used in the recipe are more than you actually need, but I would rather you have more than less so that you don’t run short.

I have tested these cookies by baking them for 16 minutes as well as 18 minutes, and the only difference is in the chewiness of the centre.  Either way you will get a crisp exterior, and a softer interior … my preference is to bake them 18 minutes, but Bryan’s preference is for them to be baked for 16 minutes!  But I win because I’m doing the baking 🙂

You will get 22 cookies from this dough if using a 20g tablespoon measure.

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Hazelnut Chocolate Cookies

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

18 mins

Total time

33 mins

 

Author: Gina @ The Passionate Pantry

Serves: 22 cookies

Ingredients

• 250g roasted hazelnuts, whole
• 100g dark chocolate, cut into pea size pieces (I use Callebaut callets)
  
  
• 180g raw caster sugar, or plain caster sugar
• 50g Dutch cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes, or ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp bi-carb soda
  
  
• 70g egg whites (from 2 eggs)
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  
  

EXTRA FOR COATING COOKIES

• 120g icing sugar
• 80g raw caster sugar, or plain caster sugar

Instructions

1. Place a breakfast bowl on top of TM lid and weigh in icing sugar, put aside
2. Place separate breakfast bowl on top of TM lid and weight in extra caster sugar, put aside
3. Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan forced, and line two large baking trays with baking paper
4. Place hazelnuts and chocolate into TM bowl and chop 4 seconds / speed 6, stir mix around and repeat 2 seconds / speed 5 (you still want some little chunks so don’t over process)
5. Add sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt and bi-carb soda and mix 10 seconds / reverse / speed 3
6. Add egg whites and vanilla and blend 10 seconds / reverse / speed 3, scrape around bowl and repeat 10 seconds / reverse / speed 3 (mix will be stiff and sticky)
7. Remove mix to a separate container for easier portioning
8. Press a 20g tablespoon into the mix, then use a teaspoon (so you don’t dirty your hands) to push the dough off the spoon into the bowl of caster sugar and roll into a ball (the caster sugar will provide a coating so the mix won't stick to your hands)
9. Immediately drop the ball of dough into the icing sugar and coat liberally
10. Place the ball of dough onto a baking tray and continue with the rest of the mix, leaving 4cm between each cookie for spreading, until you have finished with the dough (you should get 22 cookies from the mix)
11. Bake trays one at a time
12. Place first tray into oven and bake for 10 minutes, turn tray around and continue for a further 6 minutes (16 minutes total will give you a crisp exterior with more softness in the middle), or 8 minutes (18 minutes total will give you a crisp exterior with more chew in the middle)
13. Remove first tray from oven and continue process with the second tray
14. Allow cookies to cool for 30 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely
15. Store in an airtight container for up to a week

Notes

Firstly, after a couple of attempts, I discovered that the only way to allow the icing sugar to properly coat the cookie whilst it bakes, is to roll the cookie dough first in caster sugar, and then roll it liberally (and I mean liberally) in icing sugar. The caster sugar creates a barrier between the cookie and the icing sugar, so that once the cookie is baked, the icing sugar will remain white, and not "melt" onto the cookie, creating a marbling effect which looks more grey than white. So my advice is:

1. coat the cookies in caster sugar first, and then
2. coat them liberally in icing sugar before placing onto the baking tray

The quantities for the sugar "coatings" I have used in the recipe are more than you actually need, but I would rather you have more than less so that you don't run short.

To get all the mix out from the TM bowl, Turbo x 1 second to dislodge the mix from the blades, then scrape around the bowl with a flexible silicon spatula dipped in water (the mix is less inclined to stick to a wet spatula).

After removing the mix, clean your TM bowl by filling the bowl with tap water to just above the centre of the blade shaft, add a very light dollop of detergent, then heat 1 minute / 60 degrees / speed 6 ... remove the lid, and pour the water out and your bowl should be relatively clean.

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