I can remember why I was recently flipping through Joanne Chang's first cookbook Flour (nowadays, I am more likely to be looking at her most recent release, Pastry Love), but when I caught a glimpse of her recipe for milk chocolate-hazelnut cookies, I wondered why I hadn't baked the cookies before. I keep hazelnuts on hand, so I didn't wait any longer to give the recipe a try.
The recipe is straightforward, but the dough needs an extended chill before baking for optimum results. To make the dough, you cream together room temperature butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla; and blend in the dry ingredients (ground hazelnuts, chopped hazelnuts, flour, baking soda, salt, and milk chocolate). I used Cacao Barry Ghana 40% milk chocolate pistoles. I chilled the dough overnight before scooping it (I used a #24 scoop and got 30 cookies from a batch), flattening each cookie with my hand, and baking.
I loved these cookies so much. The hazelnut flavor was very well developed and I adored the sweet, crunchy hazelnut pieces in every bite. The generous addition of the mild and smooth milk chocolate made me feel like I was eating a gianduja cookie, and gianduja is one of my favorite flavors. The cookie was chewy and rich and satisfying and I wouldn't change a thing. I would absolutely make these cookies again. They do an amazing job of showcasing the unique and delicious flavor of hazelnuts -- if you substituted any other nut, you would get a completely different cookie. But there's no reason to mess with perfection!
Recipe: "Milk Chocolate-Hazelnut Cookies" from Flour by Joanne Chang.
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