I just couldn’t resist baking these little biscuits with such a lovely name and they are just as nice as they sound. The combination of chocolate and hazelnuts is typical of Italian treats and if you travel to Italy you will find biscuits like these in coffee bars everywhere. In fact, when I was in Italy several years ago almost every street corner either had a coffee bar, a gelato bar or a wine bar, I was constantly in one of the three – and in heaven.
The secret to getting these biscuits perfect (and mine actually aren’t) is to not over mix the dough. If this is top of mind, then you will be ensured of a nice little raised biscuit rather than a flat one which is a problem that many people encounter when baking them.
They are an obvious choice for a gift (I made them for a new neighbour) but I think they would make a very sweet treat for someone special.
Ingredients
1 cup hazelnuts, roasted and peeled
1 cup pure icing sugar
1 cup (226 grams/8 ounces) softened butter
1 orange, finely grated, rind only
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup plain flour
a pinch of salt
Chocolate filling
150 grams/5.3 ounces dark chocolate (60% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
25 grams/.9 ounces butter
25 mls pouring cream
Preheat oven to 160c/320. Using a food processor, process hazelnuts and icing sugar until nuts are finely ground. Then using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter, rind, hazelnut mixture and a pinch of salt until creamy. Whisk flour and baking powder together and add to the mixture, stir carefully until just combined – it is important that you do not over mix this.
Roll half-teaspoon of dough into balls and arrange about 6cm apart on baking paper-lined oven trays. Place in the freezer for 1/2 hour to chill and then bake one tray at a time in centre of oven until golden (10 – 12 minutes). Cool on trays over a wire rack and repeat with remaining biscuits.
For chocolate filling, combine chocolate, butter and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted. Stir until glossy and smooth, then cool to room temperature.
Spread half-teaspoon of chocolate filling onto the flat side of half the biscuits (you may have a little filling left over), then sandwich with remaining biscuits, pressing lightly together to seal. (I find it easier to pipe chocolate so I put it in a ziplock bag and then cut a small hole in the corner).
The biscuits will keep in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes: You should get around 40 – 50 filled biscuits.
© 2011, Michelle. All rights reserved.
