Hazelnut kisses

This Italian recipe, adapted from Barbara Small’s Stirring the Senses, is for delicate hazelnut biscuits sandwiched together with dark chocolate, known as baci di dama. It has become a staple in my family at Christmas time, when my aunt Debra makes a big batch to be picked at in between glazed ham, salmon, semifreddo with glacé fruit, cold prawns and whatever else is in the fridge.

Credit: annabelle hickson

• makes

  30

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 60 g hazelnut meal
• 40 g (⅓ cup) almond meal
• 75 g unsalted butter, softened
• 60 g caster sugar
• 80 g plain flour, sifted
• pinch of salt

Chocolate ganache

• 50 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 8 g unsalted butter

Chilling time 15 minutes

Cooling time 40 minutes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Combine the hazelnut and almond meals and spread over a baking paper-lined baking tray. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until toasted and nicely coloured. Cool.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Fold in the toasted nut meal, then the flour and salt. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into 1.5 cm-thick logs. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until firm.

Reduce the oven to 160°C. Cut the dough into 1 cm pieces and roll into balls the size of small cherries. Place balls on two baking paper-lined baking trays and bake for 18 minutes or until a light honey colour (they come out quite soft but firm as they cool). Cool on the trays for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and stir until melted and combined.

Spread the filling over half the biscuits, then sandwich with the remaining biscuits. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to set. Serve or store in an airtight container.

Note

• In warm weather, it may be necessary to add a little more flour.

Recipe from The Dailys by Annabelle Hickson, with photography by Annabelle Hickson.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.