Baci Di Dama (Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies)
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5
20 reviews
Excellent
Baci Di Dama (Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies)
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Baci Di Dama are Italian chocolate hazelnut cookies combining finely ground roasted hazelnuts with powdered sugar, flour, butter, lemon zest, and vanilla or rum. The dough is chilled, shaped into small cookies, baked until lightly golden, then sandwiched with semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate. Their crisp yet tender texture and rich nutty chocolate filling deliver a delicately balanced treat with a rustic speckled appearance from retained hazelnut skins.
Description
Baci Di Dama begin by roasting hazelnuts to enhance their flavor, then rubbing off much of their skins to retain some for a rustic look. The skins do not affect taste negatively but add speckles. The nuts and a portion of powdered sugar are ground finely, then combined with remaining sugar, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, room-temperature butter, lemon zest, and vanilla or dark rum extract to form a dough. Chilling the dough for 20 minutes firms it for shaping.
Baked at 350°F on parchment paper, the cookies develop a golden color and crisp edges. Once cooled, they are sandwiched with melted semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate. The cookies have a tender crumb due to the nut-based dough and a contrast of creamy chocolate filling. This preparation balances nutty, sweet, and slightly citrus flavors.
The recipe includes tips for making it without a microwave by melting chocolate over simmering water, and alternatives like using nut flours toasted briefly. Using room-temperature butter and beating it with sugar and zest before adding dry ingredients helps achieve a smooth dough. These steps ensure authentic texture and flavor typical of this Italian treat.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup hazelnut 140g
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar divided, 85g
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 120g
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup butter unsalted, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, 113g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or dark rum
- 1 teaspoon lemon about 1/2 lemon, zest
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate 60 to 70% cacao), chopped, or bittersweet, 113g
Instructions
- Preheat your oven. Arrange racks in the bottom and upper third of your oven, then preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roast the hazelnuts. Spread the hazelnuts out on one of the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes, until browned and your whole kitchen smells nutty (leave your oven on, we’ll bake the cookies at the same temperature).
- Remove the hazelnuts’ skins. While the hazelnuts are still warm but cool enough to handle, transfer them to a clean, damp tea towel. Wrap them in the towel and rub them together vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to remove as much of the skins as possible.
- Grind the hazelnuts. Transfer the hazelnuts to a food processor and discard the skins. Measure out the 3/4 cup of powdered sugar, then scoop out 2 tablespoons of the sugar to add to the hazelnuts. Process the hazelnuts and 2 tablespoons of sugar until they’re finely ground, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Add the remaining sugar, flour, and salt. Process until the dry ingredients are evenly distributed, about 1 minute. You may need to pause and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom corner of the processor bowl.
- Make the dough. Add the cubes of butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to the dry ingredients. Pulse a few times to break up and distribute the butter, then process until the dough begins to clump together into a cohesive dough, about 30 seconds.
- Portion the dough. Dump the dough onto a clean work surface. Gently knead the dough a few times if there are still some dry bits of flour. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, about 4-ounces (115g) each.
- Shape the dough. Gently shape each piece into a 1-inch diameter log about 12-inches long. If the log starts to break apart, gently press it back into shape. The dough shouldn’t stick to the counter, but if it does dust lightly with flour.
- Shape the cookies. Use a bench scraper or a sharp knife to cut each log into 24 1/2-inch pieces. Form each piece into a ball with your hands. Space them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets, reusing the pan and parchment from roasting the hazelnuts. You should be able to fit 48 cookies per pan.
- Bake. Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pans back to front and switch the pans between the top and bottom oven racks. Continue baking until the tops of the cookies are dry and the edges are just starting to turn golden, about 6 minutes more.
- Cool. Let the cookies cool in the pan to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate. Add the chopped chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring with a rubber spatula each time, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Assemble. Dollop about 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate on the bottom of a cookie, then gently press another cookie on top to form a sandwich. The chocolate should spread right to the edges of the cookies. Repeat with the rest of the cookies, pairing the cookie halves by shape and size.
- Rest and serve. Let the chocolate set until firm before serving, at least 15 minutes. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Leaving some hazelnut skins on gives the cookies a rustic, speckled look without affecting flavor.
- Melt chocolate in a heat-safe bowl over simmering water if you don’t have a microwave.
- Room-temperature butter beaten with sugar and zest results in a smoother dough than cold butter.
- Nut flour can be substituted for whole nuts but should be toasted briefly and cooled before use.
- Chill the dough wrapped in plastic for 20 minutes before shaping to improve handling and texture.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
63.4kcal
(3%)
Carbohydrates
5.5g
(2%)
Protein
0.8g
(2%)
Fat
4.4g
(7%)
Saturated Fat
1.9g
(10%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.3g
(2%)
Monounsaturated Fat
1.9g
(10%)
Trans Fat
0.1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
5.2mg
(2%)
Sodium
12.7mg
(1%)
Potassium
34mg
(1%)
Fiber
0.5g
(2%)
Sugar
2.8g
(6%)
Vitamin A
60.8IU
(1%)
Vitamin C
0.2mg
(0%)
Calcium
5.4mg
(1%)
Iron
0.4mg
(2%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 48cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 634 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 63.4kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 5.5g | 2% |
| Protein | 0.8g | 2% |
| Fat | 4.4g | 7% |
| Saturated Fat | 1.9g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.3g | 2% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1.9g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 5.2mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 12.7mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 34mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 0.5g | 2% |
| Sugar | 2.8g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 60.8IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 0.2mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 5.4mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.4mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
20 reviews
Excellent
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