Best Tuscan Hazelnut Orange Shortbread Recipes

ITALIAN HAZELNUT ESPRESSO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend flour, brown sugar, cornstarch, 1 tablespoon espresso powder and salt in processor. Add butter and vanilla. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add nuts; blend until finely chopped. Transfer dough to floured work surface. Knead just until dough comes together.
• Divide dough in half. Press each half into 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer shortbread to rack; cool 2 minutes. Remove pan sides.
• Cut each shortbread round into 24 wedges. Cool completely.
• Mix 2 tablespoons hot water and remaining 1 teaspoon espresso powder in small saucepan. Add chocolate. Stir over medium-low heat until chocolate is smooth. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate mixture over cookies. Let stand until chocolate sets. (Can be prepared ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.)

ORANGE-HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer bowl (use the paddle attachment) or a large mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until the butter combines with the sugar but isn't perfectly smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the flour, ground hazelnuts, and zest; mix on low speed, scraping the bowl frequently, until the dough has just about pulled together, about 3 minutes; don't overmix.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Aim for a uniform thickness to ensure even baking.
• Cut the dough into bars or squares with a sharp knife or, using cookie cutters, cut out shapes as close to one another as possible. Press the scraps together, roll them out, and cut out more cookies. If the dough becomes sticky, refrigerate it briefly.
• Arrange the cookies on two parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate until chilled, at least 20 minutes.
• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F Bake the cookies until golden on the bottom and edges and pale to golden on top, 30 minutes to 1 hour. (After 15 minutes, swap the position of the baking sheets and rotate them 180 degrees for even baking.) If the cookies are done before 30 min., reduce the oven temperature to 275°F for the remaining batches; if they take longer than 1 hour, increase the temperature to 325°F.

HAZELNUT ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Process nuts in a food processor until finely chopped, about 20 seconds (do not overprocess). Transfer nuts to a large bowl; add flour, granulated sugar, butter, zest, and salt. Mix with hands until dough just comes together and forms a ball.
• Halve dough; shape each into a disk. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With lightly floured hands, shape one disk into a 7-inch round and score to mark 12 equal wedges (do not cut all the way through). Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sanding sugar. Repeat with remaining disk and sanding sugar.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. While shortbread is warm, cut wedges to separate completely. Let wedges cool slightly on sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

TUSCAN HAZELNUT-ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer; toast in upper rack of oven, shaking occasionally, until skins begin to split, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven (leave oven on); immediately rub hazelnuts vigorously in a clean kitchen towel to remove skins (as much as will come off easily). Let cool.
• Finely chop hazelnuts in a food processor (do not overprocess), about 20 seconds. Transfer chopped nuts to a large bowl, and add flour, granulated sugar, melted butter, zest, and the salt. Mix with hands until dough just comes together and forms a ball.
• Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide dough in half. Shape each piece into a disk; transfer each disk to a lined baking sheet. With lightly floured hands, flatten one piece into a 7-inch round.
• Score round to divide into 12 equal wedges (do not cut all the way through). Sprinkle round with 1 tablespoon sanding sugar. Repeat with remaining disk.
• Bake shortbread in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching positions of sheets and rotating halfway through, until rounds are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. While shortbread is still warm, cut wedges to fully separate. Let wedges cool slightly on sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.