Description
Rich chocolate hazelnut thumbprint cookies blend European baking traditions with nutty, sweet indulgence. Delicate cookies with hazelnut crumble and smooth chocolate center offer delightful sensory pleasures you will savor completely.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¼ cups (187 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- ⅓ cup (30 g) cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 cup (125 g) hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped
- ⅔ cup (165 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup (140 g) caster sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (133 g) dark chocolate, melted
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (150 g) chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)
Instructions
- Preparation: Blend cocoa powder, flour, and salt in a medium bowl, ensuring a uniform dry mixture for the cookie base.
- Creaming: Whip butter and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy, developing a light texture.
- Wet Ingredients: Integrate vanilla extract, egg yolks, and melted dark chocolate into the butter mixture, creating a smooth, consistent blend.
- Dough Formation: Gently fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture, forming a cohesive dough that combines all components seamlessly.
- Coating and Chilling: Roll dough into small spheres, meticulously coat with finely chopped hazelnuts, and refrigerate for 2 hours to intensify flavors and firm up the texture.
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 160°C (fan-forced) or 170°C (conventional), lining baking trays with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Baking Process: Distribute hazelnut-coated dough balls on prepared trays, ensuring adequate spacing. Bake individually on the middle rack for about 8 minutes, monitoring to prevent over-browning.
- Shaping and Filling: Once cooled, create a gentle indentation in each cookie’s center using a measuring spoon. Fill the wells precisely with chocolate hazelnut spread using a spoon or piping bag.
- Finishing: Allow cookies to set completely, permitting the spread to stabilize and flavors to harmonize before serving.
Notes
- Chill for Flavor Depth: Refrigerating the dough for 2 hours helps develop rich, complex flavors and prevents cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Hazelnut Coating Trick: Roll dough balls generously in chopped hazelnuts for a delightful crunch and beautiful textural contrast.
- Precise Indentation Technique: Use the back of a measuring spoon to create uniform, clean centers without cracking the cookie surface.
- Spread Application Pro: Use a piping bag for clean, precise filling of chocolate hazelnut spread, ensuring a professional and elegant final presentation.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes (plus 2 hours chilling time)
- Cook Time: 8 minutes per batch
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 22
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg