Skip to main content

Hazelnut Shortbread

I feel like I've been baking for days. Wait, I have been. The English class for immigrants is having its Christmas party today, and the teachers and aides bring home-made gifts for all the students. I went empty-handed last year because no one told me about that little thing, so this year, I'm prepared. I have been baking hazelnut shortbread cookies.

The students tell me they don't care for sweets the way Americans do. I'm not sure if that's true, or if it's like pretending you can't eat another thing and then finishing off the M&Ms while no one is looking, or maybe they mean it. I have witnessed them scraping off the icing when the teacher gives them cupcakes.

So, I decided to give shortbread cookies, which are sweet but not sickeningly so. Since the recipe makes only 4 dozen, and I wanted to give at least 8 cookies to each of the 15 student, I have had to make three batches. Fortunately, I now have more than I need for gift giving. It's a shame I couldn't possibly eat another thing. wink wink

Here's the recipe:

3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350˚. Spread hazelnuts onto cookie sheet and roast for four to five minutes. Allow to cool and process in food processor until finely chopped but not ground.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Beat in sugar. Scrape down sides and beat in liqueur and vanilla.

Sift the flour and salt onto a piece of waxed paper. Add to the butter mixture one cup at a time until incorporated. Stir in nuts.

Shape dough into a round and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325˚. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out dough onto lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Using a fluted 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and transfer to prepared pans. Prick each cookie twice with the tines of a fork.

Bake cookies for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack. Cookies will keep for 3 to 4 weeks in a tightly closed container.

Comments

dive said…
You have more than you need for gift giving, Robyn?
Doh! I wish I could get across the pond to help you with that problem, they look delicious!
1:25 PM
Madame DeFarge said…
Shortbread is such a breeze to make that it even makes my baking look impressive. I might have to try this recipe to add to my repertoire.
5:08 PM
Shan said…
I love the shape you used for these. I'll bet they are super tasty. In my pile of sugars and butter I have the fixin's for the brown sugar shortbread I like to make. It always looks cute(like your babysitter's recipe) and tastes great (slightly undercooked) and to make them more festive I make them domino shaped and dip one end in chocolate.
I made my two batches of fudge and peanut butter bon bons for gifts but tried twice to make my grandmas buttermilk candy and came out with ice cream topping each time. Yes, I'm toying with gifting it as such a product. :D
Happy Friday before Christmas!!! EEK! I've got to get my shop on!
11:39 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Classic Green Bean Bake

In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I feel I must post a recipe with plenty of good old American tradition. The classic Green Bean Bake was invented in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly, a home economist who worked for the Campbell's Soup Company. A study was done determining that 50% of all Americans have eaten the classic Green Bean Bake, and 38% of those believe it is best served during the holidays, mainly Thanksgiving. So, for the other 50% and for those in other countries where this dish may be unfamiliar--my treat: The Classic Green Bean Bake serves 6 to 8 1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon soy sauce Dash of fresh pepper 1 20-oz. bag frozen cut green beans, thawed* 1 2.8 oz can French-fried onions -Preheat the oven to 350 F -In a casserole dish, combine the soup, milk, soy sauce and pepper. Stir in the green beans and half of the onions. -Bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Top with the remaining onions and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve hot. *Or cook 1 ...
7 comments
Read more

Bring On the Bombs

In today's edition : I generally try to keep on top of cultural trends even if I don’t adopt them, but there is a growing movement that I have only just discovered. Not long ago, I was walking along in Berkeley, California while visiting my daughter, and I saw a signpost that had been covered with yarn, like someone had sewn a knitted scarf to it. It was colorful and randomly striped, and I pointed it out as if it were the most unusual thing in the world. That’s when my daughter explained the nature of what is known as yarn bombing. It’s when knitters attach something they’ve created to a public object, most often doing their deed stealthily and anonymously. They leave a “bomb,” so to speak, for no other purpose than to brighten up the place and to bring a little cheer to those passing by. Their work has been equated with graffiti, except that the woven yarn is not permanently installed and does no damage to the object it covers. And instead of signifying the territory of a street ...
2 comments
Read more

Cindy Loo Who In October

What is it with people and Cindy Loo Who? Of my last one hundred blog hits, forty have been direct visits from regular readers, and fifteen have been as a result of people searching for "Cindy Loo Who," the little pixie from Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas . A couple of years ago, I posted an image of the original Seuss illustration as compared to the TV cartoon image, and for some reason, that post is bringing in the crowds, relatively. Maybe it's the weather. It isn't even November yet, and already we've had frost and have had to dust off our winter coats. When it gets cold like this, I start to think about Christmasy things like listening to Nat King Cole and decorating the tree. It's ironic because I am offended when retailers start pushing holiday stuff early, but I don't mind my own private celebrations. When my sister and I were much younger and still living with our parents, we would pick a day in July, close the curtains to darken the ...
8 comments
Read more