We love dainty cookie sandwiches. These chocolate-hazelnut ones are not only cute but also simple to make.
Makes about 12 sandwich cookies
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
CHILLING TIME: about 1 hour
COOKING TIME: 7 to 12 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp 2% milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup chocolate-hazelnut spread
- 3 Tbsp toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
- Additional finely chopped toasted hazelnuts (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar using an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, stirring just until combined.
- Turn out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Pat into a disc about ½ inch thick. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Dust a large piece of parchment or wax paper with a little flour. Unwrap the dough and place it on the paper. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll it out to about ⅛-inch thickness. (If the dough cracks, let it stand at room temperature until it softens enough to roll.)
- Using a 2-inch cutter, cut out cookies, rerolling the dough scraps once. If the dough becomes too soft to roll, return it to the fridge for about 15 minutes.
- Using a ½-inch round cutter, cut a circle out of the center of half of the cookies. Place the cookies, 1 inch apart, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until just beginning to brown around the edges, 7 to 12 minutes. Remove the cookies to wire racks and let cool completely.
- For the filling, stir together the chocolate-hazelnut spread and hazelnuts in a small bowl. Spread the hole-less cookies with the chocolate-hazelnut spread, using about 1 teaspoonful per cookie. Top with the cookies with the holes, squeezing them together gently. Sprinkle with additional chopped hazelnuts (if using). The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
BAKING DAY SECRETS:
- To toast hazelnuts, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in a 350ºF oven until fragrant and the skins are blistered, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Immediately tip the nuts onto a clean tea towel. Enclose them in the towel and rub vigorously to remove most of the skins.
