NUTTY CRUNCH COOKIES

Nutty Crunch Cookies image

Provided by Dawn Perry

Yield Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 cup blanched hazelnuts
1/2 cup unsalted, roasted almonds
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
Combine almonds, brown sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup hazelnuts in a food processor. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; reserve pod for another use. Pulse until finely ground, then pulse in flour just to combine. Add butter; process until dough just comes together.
Roll dough into 1" balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2" apart. Flatten cookies to a little less than 1/2" thick. Coarsely chop remaining 1/2 cup hazelnuts and press gently into cookies.
Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cookies cool completely.
DO AHEAD: Cookies can be baked 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.