I made this recipe up for the birthday party of one of Fin's stuffed toys. We usually only celebrate the genuine, approved by the makers of beany babies, birthday of Piggy; November 13th, like it says on his/her (piggy has gender confusion) birth certificate. However, whilst Fin was having a duvet day on Friday, he came over all sentimental about his soft toys and wanted to give a little something back. Mooching about the house enjoying the ticklish feeling of not having anything particluar to do, not being ill and hours until supper time came round, he decided that today was doggy's birthday and invited all the animals to tea. Sensing a request for edible treats was on the way, I suggested making cookies as they were quick, but Fin was already foraging happily in a cupboard for tiny tea things and simply grunted, 'ok' as he marched out with an armful of espresso cups.
I've been reading excitedly about peanut butter cookies that are made simply of nut butter and honey and wanted to try something similar with hazelnuts. But hazel butter is really quite runny, so I knew I needed some ground nuts in there too. I mixed up what I thought seemed like a reasonable mixture, with no idea of what the outcome might be and popped the tray in the oven hoping something resembling cookies might emerge a little while later.
In less time than it took for Fin to spread a blanket, seat all his soft toys so that they wouldn't bicker and arrange the tea things; the cookies were done. In fact, I have to be honest here - they were a touch overdone. It's easy to burn honey, so cook these slightly cooler if you know your oven comes up hot and keep an eye on them for the last five minutes. They want to be golden brown, not nut brown! They should be sable, crisp at the edges and slightly chewy in the middle. Serve them as they are with a cup of something, or go to town and sandwich them with butter cream. Mine are sandwiched with a cocoa butter truffle, that I can only give approximate measures for I'm afraid as I was tinkering again (I really am a bit of a tinker) - but it was delicious, creamy as vanilla ice cream, smooth to the bite and melting on the tongue, a wonderful counterpoint to the crisp sable nut biscuit.
Click here to view contest details
This recipe is my contribution to Peanut Butter Boy's Great Peanut Butter Exhibition. If you want to stay true to peanut butter boy's mission, then make these cookies with peanut butter and any ground nut (cashew makes a delicious flour) and fill them with a salty, vanilla, peanut butter, butter cream.
Hazel butter Cookies (SCD) makes 12-14 cookies, 6-7 if sandwiched
4oz whole hazelnuts
2 heaped dessert spoons hazel butter
2 dessert spoons runny honey
1 tsp bourbon vanilla extract
Pre-heat the oven to 160C and roast the hazelnuts on a large tray until the brown husks have cracked and the nuts are starting to take a little colour. Leave the oven on until the cookies go in. Grease a large cookie sheet.
Tip the nuts into a clean tea towel, gather it up and rub the nuts inside the cloth until most of the skins are loose. Tip everything back onto the tray and go out side with the tray and the cloth. Shake the cloth to remove all the skins and blow gently on the nuts in the tray until all the brown husk has blown away in the wind - if you wear contacts close your eyes while you do this. Alternatively, use blanched hazels.
Grind the nuts in a food processor until really fine and pour into a mixing bowl. Add honey, hazelbutter and vanilla and mix to form a soft sticky paste.
Scoop large teaspoons of the mixture and roll them lightly in your hand to form a ball shape. Press two fingers on top of the ball to flatten it and make a shape on top of the cookie, or flatten with a fork to get the impression of the tines.
Bake for 12-15 mins until golden brown and firm. They will firm up on cooling though, so don't over cook. Leave to cool on the tray for five minutes and then gently transfer to a rack to cool.
Cocoa butter Truffle Filling
Melt a heaped dessertspoon of cocoa butter in a bain marie. Off the heat, stir in a teaspoon of honey, another of hazel butter (or peanut butter) and a few drops of vanilla extract. Stir in a dessertspoon of ice cold water and whisk until smooth again. Whisk in a dessertspoon of soft salted butter and keep whisking until pale, light and fluffy. Use immediately to sandwich the cookies, or the mixture will set.
I've been reading excitedly about peanut butter cookies that are made simply of nut butter and honey and wanted to try something similar with hazelnuts. But hazel butter is really quite runny, so I knew I needed some ground nuts in there too. I mixed up what I thought seemed like a reasonable mixture, with no idea of what the outcome might be and popped the tray in the oven hoping something resembling cookies might emerge a little while later.
In less time than it took for Fin to spread a blanket, seat all his soft toys so that they wouldn't bicker and arrange the tea things; the cookies were done. In fact, I have to be honest here - they were a touch overdone. It's easy to burn honey, so cook these slightly cooler if you know your oven comes up hot and keep an eye on them for the last five minutes. They want to be golden brown, not nut brown! They should be sable, crisp at the edges and slightly chewy in the middle. Serve them as they are with a cup of something, or go to town and sandwich them with butter cream. Mine are sandwiched with a cocoa butter truffle, that I can only give approximate measures for I'm afraid as I was tinkering again (I really am a bit of a tinker) - but it was delicious, creamy as vanilla ice cream, smooth to the bite and melting on the tongue, a wonderful counterpoint to the crisp sable nut biscuit.
Click here to view contest details
This recipe is my contribution to Peanut Butter Boy's Great Peanut Butter Exhibition. If you want to stay true to peanut butter boy's mission, then make these cookies with peanut butter and any ground nut (cashew makes a delicious flour) and fill them with a salty, vanilla, peanut butter, butter cream.
Hazel butter Cookies (SCD) makes 12-14 cookies, 6-7 if sandwiched
4oz whole hazelnuts
2 heaped dessert spoons hazel butter
2 dessert spoons runny honey
1 tsp bourbon vanilla extract
Pre-heat the oven to 160C and roast the hazelnuts on a large tray until the brown husks have cracked and the nuts are starting to take a little colour. Leave the oven on until the cookies go in. Grease a large cookie sheet.
Tip the nuts into a clean tea towel, gather it up and rub the nuts inside the cloth until most of the skins are loose. Tip everything back onto the tray and go out side with the tray and the cloth. Shake the cloth to remove all the skins and blow gently on the nuts in the tray until all the brown husk has blown away in the wind - if you wear contacts close your eyes while you do this. Alternatively, use blanched hazels.
Grind the nuts in a food processor until really fine and pour into a mixing bowl. Add honey, hazelbutter and vanilla and mix to form a soft sticky paste.
Scoop large teaspoons of the mixture and roll them lightly in your hand to form a ball shape. Press two fingers on top of the ball to flatten it and make a shape on top of the cookie, or flatten with a fork to get the impression of the tines.
Bake for 12-15 mins until golden brown and firm. They will firm up on cooling though, so don't over cook. Leave to cool on the tray for five minutes and then gently transfer to a rack to cool.
Cocoa butter Truffle Filling
Melt a heaped dessertspoon of cocoa butter in a bain marie. Off the heat, stir in a teaspoon of honey, another of hazel butter (or peanut butter) and a few drops of vanilla extract. Stir in a dessertspoon of ice cold water and whisk until smooth again. Whisk in a dessertspoon of soft salted butter and keep whisking until pale, light and fluffy. Use immediately to sandwich the cookies, or the mixture will set.
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15 comments:
These lloklike hazelnut marcroons. I imagine they taste yummy.
OK. I'm skipping dinner and moving right to these babies :) what a good mum you are.
Great scott! These look delicious! I knew you'd come up with something great Naomi. These look wonderful, I'll need to find some cocao butter somewhere...
- The Peanut Butter Boy
Thanks guys! There's one left in the cupboard that I'm saving for a kids party we're going to today - no fun if Fin doesn't have a treat to eat at a party. Knowing it was in the cupboard last night was a true test of my will!
x x x
Naomi – these look amazing. And to think you created them for stuffed animals. Wow, lucky little critters living in your house! Hazel butter, cocoa truffle, and espresso? For beany babies?
BTW, what's a duvet day? Just a "hang-out" day?
Sounds wonderful! And thanks for the tip about Nick's PB exhibition. I'll have to check it out.
Happy tea parties,
Melissa
P.S. I finally responded to your meme tag. Took me long enough! Sometimes life interrupts my blogging.
Melissa,
I've been over to check your meme. Lovely words.
I thought a duvet day was an Americanism? It means a hang out day that we all need from time to time, kind of like a sickie, but without the pretence of being ill.
Tomorrow's the deadline for the peanut butter exhibition, so get baking honey and get in there quick!
x x x
They sound yummy. Hazelnuts alwyas have such a wonderfully distinctive nutty flavour.
These look irresistible! Beautiful work. =)
WOW!!! incredible. I've had a block of cocoa butter, now I know where it's going! and your pics are gorgeous, too.
My husband uses hazelnuts (aka filberts) for his pie crust. He's gluten free too, so it's nice to find some new recipes for him to try out.
Lovely, lovely...
Still trying to perfect a gluten-free sugar-free cookie recipe, and this looks ideal! Your recipes are so clever and simple. Just checking in before giving these a go--there's no egg in these cookies? Are they crumbly?
Lauren,
They're not crumbly - the honey is a great binder. If you aren't using honey, make sure to use an eqivalent with a syrup consistency similar to honey - such as agave syrup.
x x x
These look absolutly amazing. It must be so nice to be a stuffed animal in your house :)
Oh Boy! I can't wait to try these...I just need to find coacoa butter. The cream looks thick and delicious, it doesn't look like it's missing icing sugar at all. You are a very inspiring cook :) I don't think I will be deprived on SCD at all!
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