Monday, October 1, 2012

Italian Hazelnut Espresso Shortbread Cookies


You know, you could make almost any recipe in this book if you keep your pantry well stocked with nuts.  I've realized a recurring theme while flipping through the recipes, I've almost never got the appropriate type nut to make each recipe.  I've also noticed a lot of recipes calling for matzo meal and quick cooking tapioca, two things I've never had in my house, but who's absence has become glaringly apparent.  Come next payday my cart will be full with walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, almonds and hazelnuts, then I'll be set.

I had a few hazelnuts languishing in the bottom of my bulk basket and rescued them from a sad unnoticed fate by making these cookies.  Best idea of the week? You bet!  These cookies are so buttery and crisp, toasty and warm, I could gobble them up in no time.  This is the shortbread I dream of, I'd never known just how easy it was!  No chilling or rolling, just slap it all together in the food processor, knead it into a ball and press it into a pan.  Bake for 25 minutes and it's done.  Full of flavour and totally addictive.  It's a new favourite of mine!

Baking notes:
-I made a half recipe, which was very easy to do. (No splitting a single egg this time!)
-Everything went totally smoothly until I came back to the cooled shortbread two hours later.  While putting together the chocolate topping I failed to cut the recipe in half and ended up with an awful lot of chocolate.  I realized my mistake afterwards and covered the top of the cookies with chocolate, rather than drizzling it.
-Because I didn't drizzle the chocolate the cookies had to be cut again, which is why they look a little rough around the edges.  Follow the recipe and yours will look much better.

The recipe for Italian Hazelnut Espresso Shortbread Cookies is available on the epicurious website.

34/569

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