Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
Dec 08, 2022, Updated May 07, 2023
Crumbly and buttery, these Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies melt in your mouth and are coated with chocolate and topped with more toasted hazelnuts!
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Buttery, crumbly, these Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies are made with only 5 ingredients! These cookies literally melt-in-your-mouth and are topped with chocolate and toasted hazelnuts for extra flavor. If there’s one cookie you are trying this holiday season, I highly recommend giving these a try!
I adore hazelnut and chocolate together. During our Europe trip earlier this year, we had gelatos almost everyday and my top 2 flavors were always pistachios and hazelnuts. Sometimes, I would take hazelnut with dark chocolate and that’s a combination that’s hard to beat. Sarvesh also adores this combination and ritter sport hazelnut chocolate is his favorite chocolate.
The love for this combination made me try and bake these Hazelnut Shortbread, and let me tell you- this was one of the best shortbreads I have ever had. The addition of hazelnuts just takes your basic shortbread to the next level. I mean I love a classic shortbread (and also a chai one) but if there’s anything that can make it better, it has to be hazelnuts. And I coated it with some chocolate to make it even better and then topped with more toasted hazelnuts.
For this recipe, I used toasted hazelnuts which I purchased online. You can definitely use raw hazelnuts but that would add an extra step of roasting the hazelnuts first and then removing their skin.
This Hazelnut Shortbread
- combines two classic flavors- hazelnut and chocolate!
- is a great cookie to make the holidays.
- great for adding to your cookie boxes.
- also makes the perfect cookie to bake for your friends and family!
- requires only 5 ingredients!
Step by Step Instructions
1- Add 3/4 cup (3 oz) of toasted hazelnuts to a food processor. I bought toasted hazelnuts from the market and so I could use them as is. If you have raw hazelnuts, you will need to roast them first and then remove their skin. Roast in the oven at 350 F degrees for around 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then remove the skin by rubbing the hazelnuts between a kitchen towel or your hands.
2- If you have toasted hazelnuts, you can straight away move to step 2 which is pulsing the hazelnuts a few times in your food processor until finely ground. It should resemble hazelnut meal, it’s okay if it is not super fine (and doesn’t look like hazelnut flour), mine wasn’t either. Set this aside.
3- Now, to the steel bowl of your stand mixer (or use your hand mixer), add 1/2 cup butter (1stick/114 grams). The butter must be at room temperature, I have used salted butter in the recipe but you can use unsalted butter. Along with the butter add 1/4 cup granulated white sugar (50 grams). Beat using the paddle attachment for 2 minutes on medium speed until the sugar and butter are well combined and mixture is creamy.
4- Then add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and mix until combined.
5- Add the prepared grounded hazelnuts and 1 cup all purpose flour (130 grams). You can also add pinch of salt at this point if you are using unsalted butter. Since I have used salted butter, I did not add any salt.
6- Mix using the paddle attachment until everything comes together as a dough. You can also use your hands to bring the dough together. It will be a soft dough.
7- Flatten the dough and shape it like a square. Wrap with a cling sheet and refrigerate for 24 hours. You can even refrigerate for up to 48 hours. If you don’t have time, I recommend at least chilling the dough for 3 to 4 hours. This is important, if you don’t chill the dough, the cookies will spread in the oven.
8- Once the dough is chilled (I chilled mine for 24 hours), take it out of the refrigerator. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then give it a whack using a rolling pin and start rolling it. I rolled the dough to around 3/8th inch thickness, shortbread cookies are generally a little thicker.
9- Cut cookies using a cookie cutter. I used a fluted rectangular cookie cutter and cut each cookie 2 inch long and 1.5 inches wide. I got 18 cookies from the dough, but this will depend on the size of cookie cutter you use. Preheat your oven to 325 F degrees.
10- Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with an inch or two gap between each cookie. If you want, you can prick some with a fork for design. Bake at 325 F degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. I baked mine for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11- Now, you can enjoy them as such but I like doing the extra step of adding some chocolate on top. So once they have cooled completely, melt around 3/4 cup melting wafers/Candy Quik. If you are using real chocolate, you should temper it first so that it doesn’t melt at room temperature.
Spread the melted chocolate over the cookies using a butter knife or small flat spatula. You can also dip the cookies in chocolate and decorate any way you like.
12- Top with crushed toasted hazelnuts. You can also sprinkle some fleur de sel (salt) on top if you like.
Using Nutella
If you don’t want candy melts or you don’t want just chocolate on top, you can apply nutella on top as well. You can even sandwich cookies with this with nutella in between. That would be so good!
Storage
These hazelnut shortbread cookies are good for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last a few extra days if refrigerated.
Tips & Notes
- You can also use 3 oz of hazelnut meal directly in this recipe if you have that on hand. That will cut the extra-step of grinding the hazelnuts in the food processor.
- I prefer using salted butter in my recipes but you can use unsalted here if you like. In that case, don’t forget to add a little bit of salt in the dough.
- Chilling the dough is crucial, do not skip on it. If you bake these cookies straight away, they will spread in the oven and lose their shape. I like chilling the dough for 24 hours for best results but you should at least chill it for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours.
- This is a great cookie dough to make in advance. You can make the dough and freeze it for at least 2 months.
Hope you try these hazelnut shortbread cookies this holiday season. I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed!
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Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup hazelnuts 87 grams/3 oz, toasted
- 1/2 cup butter 114 grams/1stick, at room temperature. I used salted butter
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar 50 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour 130 grams
- 3/4 cup melting wafers like Ghirardelli melting wafers
- more toasted crushed hazelnuts for topping
Instructions
- Start by adding hazelnuts to a food processor. I bought toasted hazelnuts from the market and so I could use them as is. If you have raw hazelnuts, roast in the oven at 350 F degrees for around 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then remove the skin by rubbing the hazelnuts between a kitchen towel or your hands.Pulse the hazelnuts a few times in your food processor until finely ground and then set aside.
- Now, to the steel bowl of your stand mixer (or use your hand mixer), add the butter and sugar. Beat using the paddle attachment for 2 minutes on medium speed until the sugar and butter are well combined and mixture is creamy.Then add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the prepared grounded hazelnuts and all purpose flour. Also add pinch of salt if using unsalted butter. Mix using the paddle attachment until everything comes together as a dough. It will be a soft dough.
- Flatten the dough, wrap with a cling sheet and refrigerate for 24 hours. If you don't have time, I recommend at least chilling the dough for 4 hours. This is important, if you don't chill the dough, the cookies will spread in the oven.
- Once the dough is chilled (I chilled mine for 24 hours), take it out of the refrigerator. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then give it a whack using a rolling pin and start rolling it. Roll it 3/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut cookies using a cookie cutter. I used a fluted rectangular cookie cutter and got 18 cookies from the dough. Preheat your oven to 325 F degrees. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with an inch or two gap between each cookie. Bake at 325 F degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- These can be enjoyed as such but if you want to you can top them with some chocolate. Melt some melting wafers and then spread the melted chocolate over the cookies using a flat butter knife or spatula. Top with crushed toasted hazelnuts and fleur de sel (optional). Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
