baci di dama

Servings: 20 sandwich cookies

Ingredients:

 240 g hazelnuts, roasted, skinned (2 cups = 240g)

 125 g all-purpose flour

 133.33 g granulated sugar

 4 Tbsp cornstarch

 0.25 tsp salt

 105 g cold unsalted butter, cut to small pieces

 2 tsp vanilla extract

Baci di Dama Chocolate Filling

 180 g dark chocolate chips (I like to do mostly dark with a

little bit of milk)

Instructions
1. Line 2 baking sheet pans with parchment paper, then spread
out hazelnuts, Roast them in the oven on 180°C for 10
minutes or until the hazelnuts are aromatic and lightly toasted
and the skins have started to crack. (Hazelnuts skins can taste
very bitter. To remove them, place the hazelnuts in a clean
tea towel and gently rub together.)

2. Pulse the hazelnuts in a food processor or a coffee grinder

until mostly flour-like with some pieces that still retain texture.

3. In a large mixer bowl whisk together ground hazelnuts, flour,

sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter, vanilla
extract and mix with hands until a dough forms with no visible
 butter chunks. (if it looks crumbly keep kneading with your
hands)

4. Using a small ice cream scoop, portion the dough into about
2 teaspoon chunks, then roll each one into a ball. You'll get
about 40 dough balls. Set Italian cookies onto the prepared
baking sheet about 1.5 inches apart. Slightly tap on top of
each hazelnut cookie ball to flatten.

5. Chill cookies in the fridge for 1 hour. About 45 minutes into it,
preheat the oven to 160°C with the baking rack in the
middle. Bake cookies for about 17 to 18 minutes, or until just
starting to brown on top. Remove from oven and cool
completely.

How to Assemble Italian Cookies

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate chips in 10
to 15-second intervals, stirring occasionally until the chocolate
chips have melted half way (about 2 minutes). Then, continue
stirring until the rest of them have melted completely.

2. Spread 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate onto the bottom half

of the cookies. Cover with the other half and press to
adhere. Allow to sit undisturbed until the chocolate has set,
about 30 minutes.
Notes

To Make Gluten Free Italian Cookies:

Replace the all-purpose flour (1 cup) and the cornstarch (4 Tbsp)
with the same amount of rice flour (1 cup 4 tbsp).
Perfect with a cup of coffee