These Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies have a delicious taste and flavor, with a melt in your mouth sensation. The perfect Christmas Cookie Recipe addition to your Holiday Baking List. It will be everyone’s favorite!
These will be gone in minutes. Dipping them in Chocolate and a little sprinkle of ground nuts makes them the Best Holiday Cookie.
Now that Halloween is over we can start getting into the heavy-duty stuff and by that I mean Christmas Cookies. From a simple Shortbread to a Hello Dolly and don’t forget the perfect Delicious Bar.
Ingredients for the recipe
- Flour – all purpose flour, at least 11 % protein, this will keep your keeps from spreading.
- Salt
- Butter – softened
- Powdered/Icing Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Hazelnuts – finely chopped
Why use powdered/icing sugar?
Powdered sugar will help keep the cookies soft for longer and it helps to keep the cookies from spreading while baking.
What is the best flour for cut out Cookies?
Be sure to use a high protein, at least 11.5 – 12%, my flour is about 13%, a low protein flour will cause the cookies to spread, and believe me refrigerating the dough will not help.
How to make them
In a large bowl or stand mixer whisk together flour and salt. Start with 2 ¼ cups of flour, once the dough is combined if needed add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
In a the mixing bowl or stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter, then slowly add the sugar and vanilla, beat to combine, slowly add the whisked flour and continue to beat, stir in the ground hazelnuts, mix until combined.
Move to a lightly floured surface and bring the dough together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 30-60 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge and form into golf ball size balls, place on the prepared cookie sheets, lightly flatten (not too thin) with the bottom of a glass (lightly floured or dip in water so the dough doesn’t stick).
Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then move to a wire rack to cool completely before dipping or drizzling with melted chocolate.
Melt the chocolate either bain marie or with the microwave, either dip half of the cookie or spread half of cookie with chocolate (I spread the top half of the cookie), or drizzle with the chocolate if you prefer, sprinkle the ground hazelnuts on top of the chocolate. If you prefer plain then you could also sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
What is bain marie?
It is basically a fancy french term for a hot water bath. To do this, place a pot with water on the burner and a plate or bowl on top with the ingredient that needs to be melted or heated.
If you are melting chocolate be sure that the water in the pot does not touch the bottom of the dish. Heat the water to a slow boil and stir the chocolate until completely melted and smooth.
Why is it called Shortbread
According to British Food History – Dating back to the 12th century , shortbread was originally called biscuit bread.
These biscuits were made from left-over bread dough that was sometimes sweetened and dried out in the oven to form a hard, dry rusk. This practise took place over the whole of the British Isles, not just Scotland.
How to Store the cookies
The baked cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I sometimes store mine in the fridge because I like cold cookies. They will last up to 10 days by storing them in the fridge.
How to Freeze Shortbread Cookies
To freeze the shortbread cookies, place parchment paper in between the layers of the completely cooled cookies this prevents them from sticking together when they are in the containers for freezing, or you can also place the baked cooled cookies on a cookie sheet and freeze them, then move the frozen cookies to either airtight bags or containers.
It’s best to freeze the cookies without the chocolate glaze, they can be glazed before serving. Baked Shortbread Cookies will last up to 6 months in the freezer.
Don’t you just love cookies? Especially Christmas Cookies. With all that Chocolate and Caramel, from simple cut out cookies to a little more gooey and decadent bar cookie. There’s something for everyone.
Well I do and one of my favourites are these Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies. Before you ask, yes these were another of my Mom’s amazing Christmas Cookies.
She would usually make them plain but I decided to dress them up a bit. I dipped them in some chocolate, either milk or dark works well, you decide.Then I sprinkled some more ground hazelnuts on top of the dipped chocolate. So delicious!
Simple and plain they are the perfect melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie, fancied up and they are a delicious rich cookie dessert.
These yummy cookies were also on a very popular Christmas Cookie Post on Buzzfeed a couple of years ago! 🙂
When I make these Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies, I like to make them on the thicker side, place them in the fridge for about 30 minutes, I find they are easier to dip or spread with the chocolate.
They also freeze really well. You could probably freeze them plain and then dip and sprinkle before serving. This is one cookie everyone will love. Enjoy!
More Delicious Christmas Cookies to Bake.
- Chocolate Chip and Nut Fruitcake Cookies
- Easy Chocolate Chip Whipped Shortbread
- Lemon Cheesecake Squares
- Almond Crescent Cookies
- Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ – 2 ½ cups all purpose flour (at least 11% protein)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 ¼ cups butter softened*
- 1 ⅓ cups icing / powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ -⅔ cup finely chopped hazelnuts (or even walnuts or pecans)**
*If using unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon salt.
**If you can't but finely chopped hazelnuts, then toast them first for about 5-6 minutes in a pre-heated 350F (180C) oven (remove from pan immediately to stop the baking) and finely chop.
TOPPING
- 4 ounces melted chocolate (or more if needed)
- ½ cup finely chopped hazelnuts (walnuts or pecans)** (1/2 cup more less depending if you plan on sprinkling them on all the cookies)
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour and salt. Start with 2 ¼ cups of flour, once the dough is combined if needed add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
- In a the mixing bowl or stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter, then slowly add the sugar and vanilla, beat to combine, slowly add the whisked flour and continue to beat, stir in the ground hazelnuts, mix until combined.
- Move to a lightly floured surface and bring the dough together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 30-60 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 325F (160C). Line 1-2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and form into golf ball size balls, place on the prepared cookie sheets, lightly flatten (not too thin) with the bottom of a glass (lightly floured so dough doesn't stick)**. It is also a good idea to chill the cookies while the oven is pre-heating approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheets, then move to wire racks to cool completely before dipping or drizzling with melted chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate either bain marie or with the microwave, either dip half of the cookie or spread half of cookie with chocolate (I spread the top half of the cookie), or drizzle with the chocolate if you prefer, sprinkle the ground hazelnuts on top of the chocolate. If you prefer plain then you could also sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!
- **Make balls a little larger and flatten to a thicker size, if you want thicker cookies.
Notes
Nutrition
.Republished from November 2, 2015.
Tabitha says
Question – you say to add “ground” hazelnuts, do you mean finely chopped? Just unsure since you only say finely chopped in the ingredients, and ground makes me think it should be more like hazelnut flour.
Excited to make these, thank you!
Rosemary says
Hi Tabitha, finely chopped is correct, it shouldn’t be like hazelnut flour. I hope you enjoy them. Let me know. Have a great weekend. Take care!
VICKI TAYLOR says
Hi Rosemary – how can I change the email address that you presently send new recipes to. It’s no longer vicki.taylor@internode.on.net
Rosemary says
Hi Vicki, I can cancel you at the old email is the new email the one you sent this comment with? Thanks
Heather says
I was wondering why when looking at the ingredients in metric measurements that the quantities differ? For example when looking at the flour in US measurements, the metric measurement in brackets is 281g, but when I press the metric button it says 337.5g. My biscuits are not baking properly, the edges are burning, and I feel it’s because the ratio of butter to flour is wrong. I did this recipe 12 months ago and had no problems and I’m struggling to get a biscuit to bake correctly. They’re too oily.
Rosemary says
Hi Heather, very strange since I haven’t changed anything in the recipe, I did recalculate the flour measurement and it actually is 292 grams, which flour measurement did you use this time to make them? I doubled checked my Mom’s recipe and those are the measurements. Sometimes it depends on the type of flour and how much fat percentage is in the butter. Try adding a bit more flour to the mixture and see how that goes. Let me know.
Heather says
Hi Rosemary,
I did 281g of flour to 262g of butter as was previously showing on your recipe. I added more flour and it saved the dough! I’m in Australia and always use grams so appreciate the conversion, but something must have gone astray along the way.
I’m going to make these biscuits again as Christmas gifts so I’ll see how I go next time around. Thank you for your feedback.
Rosemary says
Hi Heather, thanks for letting me know, that is very strange, I will make a note in the recipe in regards to flour. Thanks again.
Kirsty says
Should I use plain or self raising flour for these?
Rosemary says
Hi Kirsty, you should use plain flour. Let me know how it goes.
Siobhan says
Do you have a measurement for the butter? My mixture turned out crumbly so I think I don’t have enough butter. A measurement in grams or ounces would be helpful. Thanks!
Rosemary says
Hi Siobhan, I just added the grams. Let me know how it goes. Sometimes it’s the type of flour, so if you find it is too crumbly, just add a little extra butter to pull it together.
Virginia Kruzhkov says
Hi there, how long do you recommend freezing the hazelnut shortbread cookies them before serving? Have you ever made them a couple of days in advance and froze? Does it alter the taste at all?
Thank you!
Virginia
Rosemary says
Hi Virginia, the cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. I always make my cookies in advance and then freeze them and there is no difference in taste of course if you go longer than 3 months the taste does change a bit. Hope that helps.
Sara says
Should the hazelnuts be raw? Or should they be lightly toasted and skins removed?
Rosemary says
Hi Sara, I can buy hazelnuts here already finely chopped, if you can’t then yes I would toast them first, in a pre-heated 350F oven for about 6-7 minutes. Hope that helps.
Sara says
Yes that helps – thank you! I live in Oregonnso Ivhadcrecently shelled 5#’scfresh hazelnuts. BTW I stumbled on tour website a number of years ago looking for a recipe to use up eggs yolks I had left over from a recipe that called for egg whites. The one bowl lemon pound cake became a big hit for my house and so fun to make because it is so easy and delicious.
Thank for sharing your recipes!
Rosemary says
Hi Sara, thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed the lemon cake and let me know how the cookies turn out.
Susan McMenamin says
So easy and delicious!
Rosemary says
Hi Susan, thanks so glad you enjoyed them.
Lynn says
I’ve been looking for new spins on shortbread cookies.
Rosemary says
Hi Lynn, thanks, I actually have a couple of new ones coming out in the next couple of weeks! 🙂