A video recipe for chocolate hazelnut sandwich cookies
Chocolate-Hazelnut Sandos
Makes about 4 ½ dozen cookie sandwiches
If you ask me, there’s pretty much nothing better than the classic combination of hazelnut and chocolate. One of my nephews said these were the best cookies he’d ever tried. My niece doesn’t like hazelnuts.
For the cookies:
355 g all-purpose flour
150 g granulated sugar
1 tsp coarse salt (preferably Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp hot water
128 g toasted skinned hazelnuts
15 g cocoa nibs
226 g cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
2 tsp vanilla
1 yolk
For the chocolate filling:
4 tbs cocoa powder
7g powdered milk (optional)
4 tbs hot water
113 g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp coarse salt (preferably Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt)
200 g confectioners’ sugar
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.
In a small bowl, bloom the cocoa powder in hot water and whisk to combine.
In a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts, cocoa nibs, and a scoop of the flour mixture until coarsely ground. Add the remaining flour mixture and pulse until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the texture of coarse meal. Add the vanilla, cocoa mixture, and yolk, and pulse until a dough just starts to come together.
Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead gently into a ball, then divide in two. Flatten each half into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill 45 minutes or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 F (325 F Convection) with racks in the upper- and lower-third positions.
Working with one disc of dough at a time, roll between parchment sheets to a scant ¼-inch thick. Use a 1 ¾-inch round cutter to punch rounds. Gather the scraps into a ball and reroll.
Place the cookies on lined baking sheets, about 1-inch apart, and bake 18-20 minutes until firm to the touch and the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the filling: In a small bowl, bloom the cocoa powder and powdered milk (if using) with the hot water and whisk to combine. Combine the cocoa mixture with the butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar a little at a time and beat until light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag with a round tip.
Pipe a generous teaspoon of filling onto the underside of half the cookies and sandwich with the remaining cookies. Drizzle with melted milk chocolate, to garnish.
Store in a cool place for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.