Because there are three variations for these cookies — maybe even four if you consider a chocolate chunk — you may want to double this recipe and make some with each filling. See How to Skin Hazelnuts the Easy Way to prepare the hazelnuts.
Yield about 36 – 40 cookies
Ingredients
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (2sticks)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp Frangelico OR 1 tbsp Hazelnut flavor
• 1 egg
• 2 cups (8 ½ oz) all purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup toasted hazelnuts, ground
• about ¾ cup raspberry or apricot preserve, OR glaceed cherries OR chunks of chocolate
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 370 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the egg and the vanilla and hazelnut extract and beat in.
3. Put the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and stir together, then add to the butter mix, stir a little then add the ground hazelnuts.
4. Drop the dough with a cookie scoop onto a greased cookie sheet. Pick up each one and roll it between your palms to make 1-inch round balls, then flatten the ball a little between your palms and set the little disk on the cookie sheet. Leave about 2 inches between cookies, they do spread a little. With your thumb, make a depression in each, pressing about 2/3 of the way down. Now, fill each depression with a scant teaspoon of the preserve of your choice. You could also choose a glaceed cherry or a couple chocolate chips or a chunk of chocolate.
5. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, until just a little golden. Let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool.
6. Pack the cookies airtight. They do freeze nicely for a few weeks.
Wendy Akin is happy to share her years of traditional skills knowledge. Over the years, she’s earned many state fair ribbons for pickles, relishes, preserves and special condiments, and even a few for breads. Read all of Wendy’s MOTHER EARTH NEWS posts here.
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