Hazelnut Tea Cookies and Chocolate Snowflake Cookies

The last two recipes from my baking frenzy. I took both of these to my last French class yesterday and people went NUTS over the hazelnut cookies. I mean, absolutely insane!! Especially crazy P, the Franco-filly, who asked me if I made them from a box. A box? My people do not make no cookies from a box lady!! I got the hazelnuts from my grandparents farm, roasted them myself, pureed them with the kitchenaid resulting in a thin layer of hazelnut dust all over the kitchen (don't tell Frenchie). There were NO boxes involved!! (no offense if you make cookies from a box, I'm sure they are wonderful, just not my thing)

Hazelnut Tea Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, plus additional for coating
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Directions
Heat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange racks in upper and lower third. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until aerated and evenly combined; set aside.

Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla and continue to mix until whipped and light, about 2 more minutes.

Add half of the nuts and mix until evenly incorporated and nuts are broken up, about 1 minute. Add flour and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in remaining nuts.

Shape dough into 1 tablespoon balls and place on baking sheets, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until underside of cookies are brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes on baking sheets.

Meanwhile, place some powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Once the cookies have cooled, roll them in the powdered sugar until just coated and tap off excess. Let cool completely and recoat in powdered sugar, tapping off excess sugar, before serving. Makes about 45 cookies.

I happen to love the Chocolate Snowflake Cookies more and these are made in our house every year. However, last year there was an unfortunate mishap that have soured these cookies a bit. I slaved over these in the midst of finals last Christmas to bring to a holiday party at the icebox. I made them and prepared a plate covered in foil and left it on the counter while I went to class. In the evening I grabbed the plate and ran out of the house for the party. I took the foil off and the first layer of cookies were fine and people raved. Apparently though, when the second layer was revealed it was infested with ants!!! The hosts were incredibly cool about this and did not make a big deal and dumped the cookies but I was still mortified!! It still makes me cringe.

So, if you have an ant problem, please wrap these cookies well because those little guys love the powdered sugar! The dough needs to be chilled so make it ahead of time.

Chocolate Snowflake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate squares
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

Directions

Mix oil and chocolate in microwave proof bowl and melt in the microwave about 2 minutes, checking often and stirring. Add the sugar and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Add about one-fourth of dry mixture at a time to chocolate mixture, beating after each addition.

Cover and let chill at least 2 hours.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in powdered sugar

Place cookies 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will still be soft when you take them out.

Try not to burn your tongue when you stuff one immediately in your mouth. Enjoy!