Chocolate Hazelnut Kisses
Description: Pastry chef Patric Gabre-Kidan from the restaurant “The Painted Table” is responsible for this addictive cookie. He typically lets these cookies sit out a full day after piping and before baking. He says the object is for the cookie to form a crust that will bake up crispy while leaving the inside moist. I’d like to give Chef Patric a “kiss” for coming up with this one!
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours and 8 minutes
- Recipe Category: Dessert
- Keywords: Cookie & Brownie, Fruit, Nuts, Kid Friendly, Free Of…, Weeknight, Oven, < 4 Hours
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups hazelnuts
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 egg whites
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 74.8
- Fat Content: 4.2g
- Saturated Fat Content: 0.6g
- Cholesterol Content: 1.1mg
- Sodium Content: 4.2mg
- Carbohydrate Content: 9.2g
- Fiber Content: 0.8g
- Sugar Content: 8.1g
- Protein Content: 1.3g
Recipe Yield:
Makes 28-32 cookies
Instructions:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. |
| 2 | Scatter the hazelnuts in a baking pan and toast, gently shaking the pan once or twice to help the nuts toast evenly, until lightly browned and aromatic, 10 to 12 minutes. |
| 3 | Turn off the oven. |
| 4 | Transfer the nuts to the center of a lightly dampened kitchen towel, wrap the towel around the nuts, and rub the nuts around vigorously (but carefully, since they’re hot) to remove as much of their skins as possible. |
| 5 | Let the nuts cool completely. |
| 6 | In a food processor, grind the cooled hazelnuts with the sugar until very fine. |
| 7 | Add the cocoa powder, butter, honey, and vanilla. |
| 8 | Pulse until well blended. |
| 9 | In a small bowl, beat the egg whites with a fork to break them up a bit but not make them too frothy. |
| 10 | Add about half of the egg whites to the processor and pulse a couple of times, then add the remaining egg white and pulse again. |
| 11 | You’re looking for a paste that’s smooth but firm enough to hold its shape. |
| 12 | Fit a pastry bag with a large plain or star tip and fill the bag with the dough. |
| 13 | Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper. |
| 14 | Squeeze a small dot of the dough under each corner of each paper lining to adhere it to the baking sheet (this will make piping easier). |
| 15 | Squeeze dough onto paper in big rosettes or teardrop shapes, making each cookie about 1 1/2 inches across and with at least 1 inch between the cookies. |
| 16 | Give the cookies a bit of height as you pipe. If you make them too flat, they’ll be more crisp than chewy when baked. |
| 17 | Let the cookies sit for 1 hour before baking. |
| 18 | Reheat the oven to 350 degrees F. |
| 19 | Bake the kisses until they are just set on the outside, about 8 minutes. The cookies will firm up as they cool and you want the insides to remain tender and chewy. |
| 20 | Transfer the kisses to a wire rack to cool and serve soon, or store in an airtight container for a few days. |
| 21 | Note: If you use a star tip, be sure that its points are open enough to avoid being blocked by the ground nuts. |
These Chocolate Hazelnut Kisses are a delightful treat that perfectly balance crispiness on the outside and moistness on the inside. Created by the talented pastry chef Patric Gabre-Kidan, they are sure to become a favorite in your home too! Enjoy the process of making them, and savor every bite of these irresistible cookies! 🍫🌰😋
