GIANDUIA HEARTS

Gianduia Hearts image

Yield Makes about 30 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1/2 cup hazelnuts (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter
parchment paper for lining baking sheets
3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
2 ounces fine-quality milk chocolate
2 tablespoonsunsweetened hazelnut butter *
1/3 cup heavy cream

Steps:

Toast and skin hazelnuts. In a food processor pulse hazelnuts with sugar until finely ground. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together flour, hazelnut mixture, and a pinch salt until combined well. Cut butter into small pieces and at a low speed beat into flour mixture until mixture just forms a dough. Turn dough out onto a work surface and gather into a ball.
Halve dough and roll out each half between sheets of wax paper into a 13-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Remove top sheet of wax paper from each round and with a 2-inch heart-shaped cutter cut out hearts, leaving all of dough on wax paper. (Do not remove any cut-outs from dough; keep hearts intact on wax paper. Replace top sheet of wax paper and stack dough on baking sheet. Chill dough until firm, at least 15 minutes, and up to 3 days.
Preheat oven to 350° F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
With a metal spatula lift hearts from wax paper and arrange about 1 inch apart on lined baking sheets. Reroll scraps and make and chill more hearts in same manner.
Bake hearts in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 12 minutes total. Transfer hearts to racks to cool completely. Cookies may be made up to this point 3 days ahead and kept in airtight containers at room temperature.
Chop chocolates into small pieces and in a bowl combine with hazelnut butter. In a small saucepan bring cream to a simmer and immediately remove pan from heat. Stir hot cream into chocolate mixture until filling is smooth. Chill filling until slightly firm, about 15 minutes. On a work surface arrange half of hearts bottom sides up. Spread about 1 tablespoon filling on each, covering surface evenly, and top with remaining hearts, bottom sides down. Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container and chilled, 1 day.
Or available for purchase from Dundee Orchards, P.O. Box 327, Dundee, OR 97115, (503) 538-8105