Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies

Chocolate and hazelnut cookies are a classic that combines the sweetness of chocolate with the crunchiness of hazelnuts. Here is a simple recipe to prepare them.

Ingredients

• 150 g of soft butter
• 150 g of brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 250 g of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• A pinch of salt
• 150 g of roughly chopped dark chocolate
• 100 g of toasted and roughly chopped hazelnuts

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the soft butter with the brown sugar until creamy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to whisk until everything is well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.
5. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter, sugar, and egg mixture, mixing until a uniform dough forms.
6. Add the chopped dark chocolate and toasted hazelnuts, and mix until they are well distributed in the dough.
7. Using a spoon, scoop portions of dough and place them on the tray, leaving some space between each cookie as they will expand during baking.
8. Bake the cookies in the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown on the edges but still soft in the center.
9. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

Curiosity

Chocolate and hazelnut cookies have a long-standing tradition, especially in countries where hazelnut cultivation is abundant. In Italy, regions such as Piedmont are famous for the quality of their hazelnuts, which are often used in the production of fine sweets like gianduia, a much-loved chocolate and hazelnut cream.