Hazelnut Cocoa Star Garland Cookies

Ghirlanda di Stelline (Star Garland Cookies)

Category: Desserts
Yields: 40 pieces (2 garlands of 20 stars each)

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Preparing the Cocoa-Hazelnut Shortcrust Pastry
   Begin by preparing the cocoa and hazelnut shortcrust dough. Place the sifted flour and cold butter cut into pieces in a food processor. Split the vanilla bean in half, scrape out the seeds with a knife, and add them to the mix. Also, add powdered sugar and hazelnut paste. Process until you achieve a smooth, compact dough.
   Once the dough comes together, sift in the cocoa powder and knead it until smooth. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and set it aside.

2. Preparing the Light Shortcrust Pastry
   In the food processor, combine cold butter in pieces and flour. Pulse until it resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer the mixture to your work surface and add sifted powdered sugar, the seeds from the vanilla bean, and the egg yolks. Mix first with a fork, then quickly by hand just to bring the dough together. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 15 minutes.

3. Rolling and Shaping the Dough
   Remove the cocoa-hazelnut dough from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1 cm thickness. Repeat the same with the light shortcrust dough.
   Use a star-shaped cutter to cut out 20 stars from the light dough. Then, use a smaller cutter to cut out the center of each star. Place the stars on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between them. Chill the cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to maintain their shape during baking.

4. Baking the Cookies
   Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F) for static baking, or 150°C (300°F) for a fan oven. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or 8-10 minutes if using the fan mode. Since ovens vary, it’s a good idea to bake a small batch first to determine the best baking time and temperature for your oven.

5. Assembling the Garland
   Once the cookies are baked and cooled, take a ribbon of your choice and carefully thread it through the holes in the center of the star cookies to create two garlands, each with 20 stars.

Enjoy these delightful, fragrant star garlands as a fun and festive treat for your holiday table or to decorate your space with homemade goodness.

Notes:

• The doughs should be handled lightly to maintain their delicate texture. Chilling them helps retain their shape and keeps them firm when baking.
• You can customize the garland by adding a mix of colored ribbons or additional sprinkles if desired.

This recipe for Ghirlanda di Stelline (Star Garland Cookies) brings a bit of joy and festivity to any occasion, combining the rich flavors of cocoa, hazelnuts, and vanilla in perfectly delicate, buttery shortcrust cookies.