The Duo Dishes

Remember when we were younger and cookie dipping signified Oreos in milk?  Maybe you moved on to biscotti and coffee as you got older.  Who knows, perhaps you enjoy a madeleine in your Earl Grey tea.  The point is, there’s something really satisfying and enjoyable about dunking something sweet and crunchy into something hot and liquid.  But what makes a good immersing item?  It definitely has to hold up post-submersion, so the initial crunch factor is key.  It should have its own individual flavors that won’t cause interference, making subtlety and cohesiveness are important.   And size is important too.  Something small enough to fit the round of a glass or mug, but sizeable enough to provide at least two chomps.  We found a cookie that has all three.  Well, maybe two and a half.  It has body, and the flavors are delicate.  But the size.  Well, you can get at least two bites out of it, but will you be able to hold yourself back from swallowing it whole?  That we cannot guarantee.

It’s that time of the year when Food Network sends forth to all of its email subscribers the top 12 cookies of the season.  On the fifth day, we all clicked into our inboxes to find Aida Mollenkamp’s creation.  Will these be on your holiday party list?  They’ve already made ours.  And we’ve got extra to dip into our hot chocolate mugs when its time to unwind.

Hazelnut Tea Cookie (adapted from Aida Mollenkamp) – Approximately 4 dozen
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 sticks butter, unsalted, softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, separated
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1 3/4 cups hazelnuts, toasted, husked and finely chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.  Combine flour, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

3.  In a larger bowl, use a mixer to beat butter until fluffy and creamy.  Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and blend until well incorporated.  Add vanilla bean paste to butter and sugar.

4.  Pour half of the hazelnuts into butter mixture and stir with a large spoon.  Add all of the flour and mix.  Follow this with remaining hazelnuts.

4.  Form 1 inch balls of dough and drop on parchment paper with 1 inch of space between each.  Bake for 25 minutes or until edges turn golden brown.

5.  Allow to cool 5-10 minutes.  With remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, roll balls on all sides until coated.  Tap off excess.  After they’ve cooled completely, roll in powdered sugar once more.

Click HERE for the printable recipe.