My dear friend Amanda gave me an awesome cookbook a few weeks back called The Boozy Baker. Each recipe involves alcohol of some kind; cakes made with rum or bourbon, pies spiked with brandy, icings flavored with a range of liqueurs. One recipe that’s suitable for shipping across the country is these hazelnut cookies, which actually featured chocolate chips in their original iteration. But Amanda also gave me a recipe notebook, titled I’m A Whisk Taker, in which to record my own concoctions. And so, I adapted the original recipe to feature more hazelnuts (because can you really ever have too many?) and some salted caramel chips.
The end result is a delightfully delicious hazelnutty creation, and the next time I bake these, I’ll add another cup of salted caramel chips to the dough to pump up the sweetness just a bit. At present these treats are en route to California, where Amanda and her family will hopefully enjoy them.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur
- 1 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, cooled, and chopped*
- 1 cup salted caramel baking chips
*To toast hazelnuts, place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350 degree oven and toast for 5-10 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from oven and place in a kitchen towel, then rub so the skins fall off – don’t worry if you don’t get every last bit of skin from the nuts, as this will add to their flavor.
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl a few times. Beat in hazelnut liqueur.
Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing just until combined. Stir in hazelnuts and caramel chips.
Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, drop scoops of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake another 3-4 minutes; these cookies brown very quickly, so keep an eye on them. You want set edges, but a puffy middle.
Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Makes about 30 cookies.
amy bakes in the 'burgh 