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These fancy chocolate cookies with hazelnuts take an ordinary chocolate treat and turn it into something really special that'll wow everyone who tries them. When you mix crunchy toasted hazelnuts with smooth chocolate, you get this amazing combo that's just right for parties, holidays, or anytime you want to impress someone.
I came up with these cookies for a holiday cookie swap about five years back, and now everyone expects me to bring them every year. The toasted hazelnuts mixed with chocolate always reminds me of fancy European coffee shops, but they've got that homemade feel that makes everyone smile.
What You'll Need
- Hazelnuts: 1 ½ cups toasted and broken into chunks. They're what makes these cookies special with that amazing crunch and nutty taste. Get fresh ones if you can.
- All-purpose flour: 1 cup gives these cookies just the right texture without making them too cake-like.
- Cocoa powder: 2 tablespoons brings out that deep chocolate flavor. Go for Dutch-processed if you want them extra rich.
- Baking powder: 1 teaspoon makes them rise just enough without getting too puffy.
- Salt: ¼ teaspoon cuts the sweetness and makes the chocolate taste even better.
- Unsalted butter: ½ cup at room temp so it mixes up nice and smooth.
- Granulated sugar: ½ cup for that basic sweetness and helps the cookies hold their shape.
- Brown sugar: ½ cup packed adds some moisture and a hint of caramel that goes great with hazelnuts.
- Egg: 1 large to hold everything together and make them rich.
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon brings all the flavors together without taking over.
- Semi-sweet or dark chocolate: 8 oz for dipping. Try to get good quality with at least 60% cocoa for better taste.
- Coconut oil: 1 tablespoon helps the chocolate look shiny when it sets.
- Roasted hazelnuts: ½ cup finely chopped to sprinkle on top of the chocolate.
How To Make Them
- Get Those Hazelnuts Ready:
- Set your oven to 350°F. Put the hazelnuts flat on a baking sheet so they cook evenly. Toast them for 10 to 12 minutes until they smell amazing and look golden. Give them a stir halfway. You'll know they're done when your kitchen smells nutty. Let them cool all the way before chopping them up coarsely. Put half a cup aside for topping the cookies later.
- Mix Up The Cookie Dough:
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until everything looks the same color. In another bigger bowl, beat the butter with both sugars for a good 2 to 3 minutes until it looks lighter and fluffy. This puts air in the mix and makes your cookies tender. Put in the egg and vanilla, and mix until it's all shiny and smooth. Slowly add the dry stuff, mixing just enough to combine - don't overdo it or your cookies will get tough. Fold in the toasted hazelnuts gently so they spread out evenly in the dough.
- Form And Bake Your Cookies:
- Put parchment paper on your baking sheet so cookies won't stick and cleanup is easy. Scoop out tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls with your hands. Flatten each one with your palm to about half an inch thick. Leave plenty of room between them since they'll spread a bit. Bake them in your hot oven for exactly 10 to 12 minutes. Look for edges that seem set but centers that are still a little soft. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before you dip them or the chocolate will just melt off.
- Finish With Chocolate:
- Put your chopped chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl that's deep enough for dipping and safe for the microwave. Heat it in 30-second bursts, stirring between each until it's smooth and glossy. Hold each cool cookie by the edges and dip the top into the melted chocolate. Shake off extra chocolate and put them chocolate-side-up on parchment paper or a wire rack. While the chocolate's still wet, sprinkle lots of your saved chopped hazelnuts on top, pressing very lightly so they stick. Let the chocolate harden completely at room temp or speed it up in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
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What makes these cookies so great is how the crunchy toasted hazelnuts play against the smooth chocolate coating. I first fell in love with this combo on a trip to Turin, Italy, where I couldn't get enough of their chocolate hazelnut treats. Seeing my family's faces light up when they bite into these cookies makes me just as happy as eating them myself.
Keeping Them Fresh
These treats stay crunchy and tasty for up to 7 days if you keep them in a sealed container at room temp. Just make sure to put parchment paper between the layers so the chocolate doesn't stick. If you want to keep them longer, they freeze really well for up to 3 months. Just let them sit out for about an hour before you eat them. They actually taste even better after the first day as all the flavors start to blend together.
Switch It Up
Even though hazelnuts give these cookies their special taste, you can try other options too. Almonds work really well and give a different but still yummy nutty flavor. If someone can't eat nuts, try toasted sunflower seeds for a similar crunch without the allergy worries. The chocolate coating works great with milk chocolate if you want something sweeter that kids usually love, or white chocolate if you want it to look really cool against the dark cookie.
Ways To Serve
These nutty chocolate treats taste best when they're just a little warm, which makes the chocolate coating get slightly soft. Try them with a strong cup of coffee for a real Italian feeling, or with a glass of Frangelico if you want a grown-up treat. During the holidays, try stacking them on a fancy platter, mixing them with white chocolate cranberry cookies to give your guests different options and make your dessert table look amazing.
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These cookies are a fantastic way to combine fancy and fun—perfect for both everyday snacking and special celebrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I use pre-toasted hazelnuts to save time?
Definitely! Store-bought toasted hazelnuts work fine and will cut down your prep time. Just make sure they're fresh for the best taste. With pre-toasted nuts, you can jump right to chopping them for your cookie mix and topping.
- → How do I store these cookies to maintain freshness?
Keep your cookies in a sealed container at room temp for up to 5 days. Want them to last longer? Pop them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can even freeze them for up to 3 months by placing them between parchment sheets in a freezer container.
- → Can I substitute the hazelnuts with other nuts?
Sure thing! While hazelnuts go great with chocolate, you can swap them out for almonds, walnuts or pecans to create a different flavor. Just remember to toast any nuts you use first to bring out their best taste.
- → Is there a dairy-free alternative for this recipe?
You bet! Make these cookies dairy-free by swapping the butter for a plant-based version and using dairy-free chocolate for the coating. Make sure your plant butter is soft at room temp so it mixes well with the sugars.
- → Why is my chocolate coating too thick?
If your chocolate's too thick for dipping, try adding a bit more coconut oil or shortening and give it a good stir. These fats help make the chocolate runnier for easier cookie coating. Always melt your chocolate slowly on low heat so it doesn't clump up.
- → Can I make the dough ahead of time?
For sure! You can make your cookie dough up to 2 days early and keep it covered in the fridge. You can also freeze the rolled dough balls for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, let chilled dough sit out for 30 minutes or add a couple minutes to baking time if you're cooking from frozen.