Wishing you all a Happy Easter.
It is a time for celebration in many different parts of the world with wonderful dishes and gatherings. In some countries it is Spring and here in my city, Melbourne, Autumn has arrived. May your celebrations be full of happiness, good health, laughter and good cheer. Easter for my family will be celebrated with a few small gatherings and festivities.
My gesture for Easter is to share this hazelnut biscuit recipe. It is easy to make and it can be given an extra lift with melted chocolate. The biscuits make an ideal gift when visiting friends or to have and serve when friends visit. They can easily be stored for up to three weeks in an air tight container, providing they don’t get eaten. In my household biscuits, cakes and other sweets tend to disappear very quickly. I need to put post it notes on containers to make sure that they don’t get munched up.
Ingredients
2 cups plain flour (sifted)
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
2 eggs (beaten)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
250g unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 cups hazelnut meal
3/4 cup caster sugar
icing sugar for dusting
350g plain chocolate (melted for dipping)
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Makes: 46 Biscuits (Approximately)
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prepare two large baking trays with baking paper.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the lemon zest, vanilla essence and eggs one at a time. Gently stir in the flour and hazelnut meal combine and mix well.
To Scoop out the mixture, half fill a dessert spoon . With floured hands, shape the dough into 6 cm crescent shapes. Place on the baking sheets, 5 cm apart. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are set and the biscuits slightly golden.
Remove the biscuits from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes, then transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely.
Melt chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Using a pair of kitchen tongs or your fingers, dip half of each crescent into the melted chocolate. Place the crescents on a non-stick baking sheet until the chocolate has set. Dust the biscuits lightly with icing sugar.
Cook’s Tips
Whilst the biscuits are in the oven baking do keep an eye on them. You may need to turn the tray around to ensure they colour evenly.
Keep the biscuits on the smaller size, as they bake they will spread and increase in size. There shape will also change.
For a little variety on this occasion I have coated some with chocolate and others I have just dusted with icing sugar.
Enjoy!
9 Responses
These cookies look scrumptious. I’ve never heard of hazelnut meal before. I’ll have to look for it in my local store. Hope you had a nice holiday. 🙂
Hello, hazelnut meal is shelled hazelnuts, dry roasted for about 7 minutes, cooled, skin removed and then milled. To mill you can use a kitchen whiz. If you buy the store brought hazelnut meal it can contain traces of peanuts & sesame seeds. It is probably best to make your own. We had a lovely break over Easter. Hope you had a lovely break as well. 🙂
I made brownies with chocolate chips. Because experts have determined that chocolate is a vitamin. 🙂
Chocolate is good for you. The dark chocolate with the higher cacao content such as 70%, 80%, with minimal sugar. Chocolate has uplifting properties which have to be good for you. 🙂
I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned that I don’t have the option of liking your comments, but here’s your like. 🙂
That’s fine. I think a smiley face is better… 🙂
Found it! 😀
Yummy!
Thank you. They were all eaten in two days. 🙂