ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES with Domenica Cooks

BACI DI DAMA AL CAFFÈ

There are differing stories about these cookies. They are said to have originated in the town of Tortona, near the Ligurian foothills, east of Torino. But there are also claims that they were invented in 1852 by a in the House of Savoy for Vittorio Emanuele II. Some old recipes note that the cookies were originally made with ground almonds and that hazelnuts were substituted when almonds became too expensive. And other recipes claim the opposite. Well, now I’ve given these baci my own little spin. I opted for hazelnuts over almonds, and I spiked my kisses with a little ground espresso because hazelnuts + bittersweet chocolate + coffee = the perfect cookie.

Makes 50 cookie sandwiches

Ingredients 1 rounded cup (140 g) toasted, peeled hazelnuts (see NOTE) 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar 2 teaspoons very finely ground espresso (optional) 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140 g) unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 cup (1 stick; 115 g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature, cut into cubes 2 ounces (57 g) bittersweet (65 to 70%) chocolate, coarsely chopped

Instructions 1. Line two sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Pour the nuts and sugar into the work bowl of a food processor and process until the nuts are finely ground (the mixture should look like sand). Add the espresso (if using) and salt and pulse to combine. Pulse in the flour until thoroughly combined. Distribute the butter around the work bowl and process until the dough starts to clump together.

3. Turn the dough out onto a clean, very lightly floured work surface and press it into a smooth disk. Pinch off marble-sized pieces of dough and roll them into balls. (Each little ball should weigh about 5 g or 1/8 ounce if you want to be precise.) Place them on the baking sheets, 1 to 2 inches apart. You should be able to fit 50 on each sheet. If not, use a third parchment-lined sheet.

4. Set the baking sheets in the freezer to chill while you preheat the oven to 325 F (160C). If you can't fit both sheets in the freezer, chill one and then chill the second while the first is in the oven. Chilling is an important step, as it will prevent the cookies from flattening out while they bake. You are aiming for beautifully domed little cookie buttons.

5. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 20 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and set. Transfer the baking sheets to cooling racks and let the cookies cool completely on the sheets. When they are cool, turn them bottom up.

6. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl or pan set over gently simmering water. Use a spoon to dollop a drop of melted chocolate onto the bottom of a cookie, and sandwich it to another cookie. Gently place the 'kiss' on a cooling rack or clean parchment-lined baking sheet and allow the chocolate to harden. The cookies will keep in an air-tight container for up to a week.

NOTE: To remove hazelnut skins and toast the nuts: Spread the shelled nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400° F (200° C) until the skins begin to crack, about 10 minutes. Wrap the hot nuts in a clean towel and let sit for 1 minute. Roll the towel back and forth vigorously to remove the skins. Not all the skins will come off, which is fine. Discard the skins and let the nuts cool.