Nougat Christmas cookies made from hazelnuts

If you're craving hazelnut Christmas cookies , then this fragile Linz cookie with a delicate gianduja-style hazelnut cream is one of the modern Christmas classics that you'll fall in love with after the first bite.

Believe me, nothing brings the Christmas atmosphere to your home like the smell of roasted hazelnuts. Moreover, the combination of butter and chocolate reminds me a lot of nougat pralines and this recipe is one of my daughter's favorite sweets, and I have to stop her from baking so that there are some left over for the others. :-)

Even in this recipe, it is true that no dough is the same and it is really worth investing in quality ingredients. The key here is to choose a quality flour that will hold the Linz dough together and create the right structure.

Linz hazelnut Christmas cookie dough

Ingredients

– 250 g of plain flour Farina per Dolci (Molini Pizzuti)
– 150 g butter
– 80 g powdered sugar
– 2 egg yolks
– 50 g ground hazelnuts

Procedure

1. Make a smooth dough from the ingredients and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, ideally overnight.

2. Roll out the rested dough on a lightly floured surface. If it was in the fridge overnight, let it rest on a rack for about 30 minutes. When the dough starts to crumble , add 1–2 teaspoons of cold water and knead the dough lightly (this will solidify the fat with the flour and strengthen the dough structure).

3. Cut out circles or other shapes and bake them on a baking sheet lined with baking foil or baking paper at 175°C (top and bottom heat) for about 8–10 minutes, until lightly golden, see picture below.

4. Let cool and cover with hazelnut cream.

Nougat hazelnut cream recipe

Ingredients

– 100 g hazelnut butter (see recipe below)
– 80 g milk chocolate (ideally 50% cocoa)
– 40 g butter

Procedure

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a water bath.

2. Stir in the hazelnut butter or nut paste and mix until smooth.

3. Pour into a glass or refrigerate until the cream thickens.

4. Then glue the cooled cookies together with the cream.

How to make homemade hazelnut butter

Ingredients

– 200 g hazelnuts (preferably with a thin skin, e.g. Piedmontese or Moravian)
– a pinch of salt (optional)
– 1 teaspoon neutral oil for extra smoothness (optional)

Tip from Mari

Procedure

1. Roast the hazelnuts in a pan (or spread the nuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10–12 minutes at 170°C) until fragrant.

2. After roasting or baking, wrap them in a towel and rub them to remove most of the skins.

3. Place in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth nut butter is formed – usually 5-7 minutes.

4. Add a pinch of salt or a drop of oil to taste.

5. Pour into a clean jar and store in the refrigerator.