Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
This recipe is based on my 3-2-1 shortbread cookie recipe. I think the combination of hazelnuts and chocolate is great in anything, especially in shortbread. Go for this recipe when you want the combination of chocolate and nuts and you want it fast.
Servings: 32 cookies
Calories: 194kcal
Ingredients
- 20 tablespoons (282 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup 57 grams) dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 large (20 grams) egg yolk
- 3 cups (340 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 ounces (90 grams ) unsalted toasted hazelnuts chopped into small chunks
- 3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate chopped into small chunks
- Maldon Sea Salt
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
- Chop the hazelnuts into small pieces and set them aside in a small bowl. I use the toasted hazelnuts from Trader Joe’s. If you are using raw hazelnuts, toast the nuts at 350°F (180°C) for about 10 minutes until lightly browned.
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Pour the chocolate into a sifter, and sift out the tiny pieces of chocolate. I call this chocolate dust. Leaving out these tiny pieces gives the cookies a nicer appearance. Pour the remaining larger pieces into the same bowl with the hazelnuts.
- Place the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl and add the egg yolk and vanilla bean paste. Mix on medium speed until the ingredients is well combined. Scrape down the sides and add all of the flour. Mix on low speed and mix until all the flour is just combined. The dough will first be crumbly but then start to come together. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough has completely come together in large clumps. Add the hazelnuts and the chopped chocolate and mix on low speed until they are distributed evenly throughout the dough.
- Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into two even pieces, about 440 grams for each piece. Shape each piece into a square.
- Take the first piece of dough and roll it into a cylinder, there may be some cracks. If there are cracks press the dough together and continue to roll it back and forth until it forms a cohesive cylinder. Continue to roll it back and forth until it’s 1-1/2 inches thick and about 9-inches long.
- Wrap the dough in wax paper and twist the ends tight to seal it. One of my tricks to maintain a nice round cylinder is to cut an empty cardboard paper towel roll in half lengthwise. Spread it open and place the cookie dough inside.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and for up to 2 days. Chilling the dough will help the cookies hold their shape when baking.
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a half-sized baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove one cookie dough log from the refrigerator and let it sit on your work surface for 5 minutes. Use a ruler to mark the dough log every 1/2-inch. Cut the dough into rounds. Place 12 pieces on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt if you like your cookies a little salty.
- Bake the cookies for 15-17 minutes. The bottom of the cookies will be lightly golden brown.
- Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them to a cookie rack to completely cool.
Store the Cookies
- The cookies can be stored in a container for up to 10 days.
Freezing Unbaked Cookies
- Wrap the cookie dough logs tightly in wax paper and refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until the dough is firm. Once chilled, place the wrapped logs in a freezer-safe bag, press out as much air as possible, and seal the bag securely. Lay the logs flat in the freezer to help them keep their shape and prevent them from being squished by other items.
- Label the freezer bag with the date before storing. The shortbread cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months, making it easy to have cookie dough ready whenever you’re in the mood to bake.
Notes
Weigh the Ingredients. This shortbread cookie recipe works best when flour, sugar and butter are weighed. Weighing the ingredients will ensure that you are not adding too much flour or too little sugar.
Use Good Butter. For the best results use good quality butter. Brands such as Tillamook and Kerrygold work well in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 234IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg