Yields 80-100 cookies.
- Prep time: 2h 20min + dough chilling time
- Cook time: 10min
- Total time: 2h 30min
- Difficulty: Basic
Lard is used in this recipe, which gives the cookies extra flakiness and that melt-in-your-mouth texture. If you don’t want to use lard, you can substitute butter, but the cookie will have a slightly different texture. Make sure the butter is at room temperature before adding the flour.
Add just enough to form a ball of dough. It is also critical to chill the dough for several hours, preferably overnight, especially if you used lard. A combination of lard and butter could also be used. The cookies are nutty and not particularly sweet, so dulce de leche works perfectly as a filling. Nutella also works well. Choose sweeter flavors or heavily dust the cookies with powdered sugar if you want to fill them with jam.
For the hazelnut cookies.
Ingredients:
- 200g lard (or butter), at room temperature
- 130g sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 40g sour cream
- 130g ground hazelnuts
- 400-420g all-purpose flour
Directions:
Cream together the lard, sugar, and vanilla sugar in the bowl of your standing mixer until light and creamy. Mix in the egg and egg yolk one at a time until well combined. Sour cream and hazelnuts should be added at the end. Stir in the flour gradually with a wooden spoon until you have a dough that can be formed into a ball. Depending on the lard or type of fat you use, you may need to use a little less or more flour. Don’t overwork the dough. It will be soft, which is fine. Try not to use too much flour. It will be fine once the dough has had enough time to chill.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and cut it in half. Wrap each half in plastic and shape into a flattened disk. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Two baking sheets should be lined with parchment paper.
Roll the dough out on a well-floured surface until it is 3-5 mm thick. Using cookie cutters, cut desired shapes. Transfer to prepared baking sheets with care. Reroll scraps and cut shapes from them. Rep with the remaining dough.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove from oven as soon as the edges begin to brown. They should remain light in color with only a slight light-brown tint on the bottom. The cookies are still a little soft while hot, but they firm up as they cool. Before filling, allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Plain cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
For the filling.
Ingredients:
- dulce de leche
- Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
- raspberry jam (or any other flavor you like)
- melted dark chocolate (to decorate the cookies)
Directions:
Spread about a teaspoon of your desired filling on the bottom side of one cookie and top with another cookie to assemble. Sandwich the cookies together in an airtight container. Some of the cookies can also be dipped in melted dark chocolate. Place the chocolate-covered cookies on a piece of baking paper to set the chocolate, then transfer to an airtight container. The sandwiched cookies can be stored for up to two weeks.
Commentary.
Also known as Prhki Keksi S Lješnjacima.
With Christmas fast approaching, it’s officially time to start panicking. You’re in for some serious baking if your cookie jars are still half-empty. Fortunately, I have a fantastic cookie recipe for you that is flaky, nutty, buttery, and versatile.
That’s not entirely correct. When I say “buttery,” I mean “lardy.” If you insist on using butter, they may be buttery, but I recommend against it. Using lard is in your best interests. Pork fat is a fantastic substance. Believe me.
Lard, it turns out, is actually healthier than butter. Lard, believe it or not, is mostly unsaturated fat, which is better for you, whereas butter is mostly saturated fat. That is just one of the many reasons why you should begin using lard, particularly in baking.
Lard cookies and pie crusts are insanely delicious. The addition of lard makes them extra flaky but not crumbly. The texture is difficult to describe. They’re crisp, but so delicate and delicate that they melt in your mouth.
Keep in mind that lard can add a more savory note to your baking, which can add complexity and depth. This is especially true for these hazelnut cookies. They’re deliciously nutty but not sweet, which is why the dulce de leche filling works so well. Nutella also goes well with these little cookies. I used raspberry jam to fill some of the cookies, but I wasn’t impressed. If you choose the jam filling, I recommend using a sweeter jam or heavily dusting the cookies with powdered sugar.
