Baci di dama are Italian “kisses” — small, buttery hazelnut cookies sandwiched together with a layer of chocolate, as if joined in a sweet kiss. It’s a timeless combination: hazelnuts and chocolate — one that never really gets old. These cookies are simple to make, wonderfully delicate, crumbly and melt-in-the-mouth (helped by replacing part of the flour with rice flour). Traditionally, they’re made using equal amounts of nuts, butter and flour. The original version used almonds, but nowadays — even in Italy — hazelnuts are very common. Not surprising at all, considering how much Italians love things like Nutella ;).
Makes about 22 sandwich cookies.
Ingredients for baci di dama:
- 150 g hazelnuts
- 150 g plain flour
- 150 g cold butter, diced
- 100 g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan or in the oven at 180°C, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove the skins — the easiest way is to rub the warm nuts in a paper towel (the skins can make the cookies slightly bitter). Once cooled, place the hazelnuts in a food processor and blend until they resemble fine crumbs or flour. Be careful not to over-process, or they will turn into a paste and eventually nut butter.
Add the remaining ingredients and process until a smooth dough forms (it will feel slightly oily due to the nuts). If you don’t have a food processor, chop the butter into the flour and ground nuts using a knife until crumbly, then add the remaining ingredients and quickly bring together into a dough. Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
Remove from the fridge and form small balls (about 11 g each). Place on baking trays lined with baking parchment — you should get about 2 trays. Chill the shaped dough balls again for 2–3 hours.
Bake at 170°C for about 16 minutes (smaller cookies may need slightly less time). Remove and allow to cool completely on the trays.
Ingredients for the filling:
- 70 g dark chocolate
Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie, then allow it to thicken slightly — it shouldn’t be too runny, as it needs to hold the cookies together. Spread a small amount of chocolate onto one cookie and sandwich with another. You can pipe the chocolate or simply use a teaspoon. Leave to set.
Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Enjoy!
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