Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Biscuits

Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Biscuits feature a classic and always popular flavour combination in a light, buttery shortbread biscuit.

Using a food processor, the dough can be whizzed up in 5 minutes. Then roll into two log shapes and chill in the fridge for half an hour. When ready to bake, slice off thick or thin biscuits and pop in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Easy!

Great with a cuppa or as a treat in lunch boxes. Sensational crumbled over ice cream.

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CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BISCUITS

Growing up, there was a biscuit advert on TV that always made me laugh. I’ve tried in vain to find it online, so here’s how I remember it. A woman is struggling with a bag of groceries. On top, along with some bananas, is a certain brand of chocolate-hazelnut cookie. A big bear comes along, really wanting a cookie. So, thinking he’ll get one as a reward, in a friendly voice he asks, ‘can I carry your cookies… er… bag home?’. When, at the end, all he gets for his trouble is a banana, the comical, outraged look on his face is priceless!

As a kid, there were rarely big brand biscuits like those in our house. But, just like the bear (and probably because of him), I really wanted one of those cookies. When I eventually got to try them I was hugely disappointed though. Not very chocolatey, not very nutty, and with obviously artificial flavouring. These days, like so many shop bought biscuits, the brand also contains environmentally disastrous palm oil.

Happily though, as I’ve discovered with my recipes for Digestive/Chocolate Digestive Biscuits and Zesty Oat Biscuits, it’s not difficult to make your own versions of old favourites. In fact, using tasty, natural ingredients, I think homemade is so much better!

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD BISCUITS

My Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Biscuits are light and buttery. I think they have just the right amount of nutty bits and dark chocolate pieces. A thickish, tender shortbread is more traditional and is how I like them. But if you prefer a crisper biscuit then just cut them thinner.

I highly recommend you use a food processor to make the dough. This way, it’s barely a 5 minute job. You could combine the ingredients by hand, but it will take a while longer.

You’ll need:

• Plain white flour
• Caster sugar
• A pinch of salt
• Cold butter
• Dark chocolate (or milk chocolate if you prefer)
• Chopped hazelnuts (roasted have the best flavour)
• Vanilla extract (optional)

MAKING THE DOUGH

To make the dough, you start by whizzing up the flour, sugar, and salt until just combined. Then add the diced butter and whizz again until you have a breadcrumb-like mixture. Finally, the chopped chocolate and hazelnuts go in, plus the vanilla extract if you’re using it.

While it’s nice to have some larger chunks of chocolate in the biscuits, having them too large makes cutting difficult. So smaller chunks are better. On the other hand, if you don’t want the pieces completely pulverized, process on LOW until a dough starts to form then stop. Tip the dough onto your worksurface or silicone mat and bring it together by hand into a smooth ball.

Now we come to the great reason why Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Biscuits need so little hands-on time. Because, instead of rolling out, cutting out shapes with a cookie cutter, and re-rolling the scraps, we form the dough into two logs. After chilling, you’ll cut off rounds to form the biscuits.

Make the diameter of your logs the size you’d like your biscuits to be. They’ll spread a little during cooking, but not a lot. Once the logs are fairly smooth and even, flatten the ends, then wrap in cling film. To secure, twist the ends like a Christmas cracker. Taking hold of the ends, roll each log up and down the work surface a few times to get them even smoother.

You’ll need to chill the dough in the fridge for thirty minutes. This will make it easier to cut without squidging your nice cylindrical shapes. If you’re inclined, turn the logs over a few times while chilling: this will prevent the underside becoming flat (although I usually forget). If convenient, you can chill for a longer period or even freeze.

CUTTING & BAKING

When you’re ready to bake, unwrap the dough logs and get yourself a sharp knife. Simply cut off slices to form round biscuits. For a traditional, tender shortbread, slice the log at one-centimetre intervals. For a crisper biscuit, cut approximately half a centimetre thick.

As you cut them, transfer to one large or two regular sized baking trays lined with baking paper. If you want them to have a slightly textured top then you can sprinkle with extra sugar if you like.

Depending how thick or thin you cut them, the shortbread biscuits should take 15 – 20 minutes to get cooked all the way through. Leave on the tray for a couple of minutes to set a little (they can seem a little soft while still warm), then transfer to a cooling rack where they’ll firm up. Kept in an airtight container, they should be good for at least four days. If you can resist them, of course.

EASY & DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD BISCUITS

With their light, buttery texture, plenty of chocolate and roasted hazelnut flavour, these shortbread biscuits are a real winner. Perhaps a little more sophisticated than your average chocolate chip cookie, they’re perfect as a sweet treat or to have with a cup of tea or coffee.

But I think they make a great dessert too. Eat alongside panna cotta, crème brulee, or try a few crumbled over rich, cold vanilla ice cream.

If you’ve made Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Biscuits I’d love to know what you thought. If you have a moment, please leave a comment and recipe rating.

5 from 1 vote

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Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Biscuits

A classic and always popular flavour combination in a light, buttery shortbread biscuit that's great with a cuppa, as a treat in lunchboxes, and sensational crumbled over ice cream for dessert.

Course Snack, Biscuit

Cuisine British, World, Scottish

Keyword shortbread, baking, easy, cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Chilling the dough 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 36 small biscuits (more if cut thinner)

Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

• 225 g plain white flour
• 70 g caster sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 140 g cold butter diced
• 60 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped see Recipe Notes
• 60 g chopped roasted hazelnuts
• 1 tsp vanilla extract optional

Instructions

1. Line 1 large or 2 regular sized baking trays with parchment or greaseproof paper.

2. Put the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and whizz briefly to combine.

   Add the butter and process again until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

   Add the chopped chocolate and hazelnuts, plus the vanilla extract if using. Process on a LOW speed (so the chocolate doesn't break up too much or melt) until a dough starts to form. Don't be tempted to add water: keep slowly processing and the mixture will start to come together.

   Tip: if you don't mind very small pieces of chocolate, you can continue to process until the dough becomes a ball. But if you want to keep some bigger pieces, it's better to finish bringing it together by hand, as per the next step.

3. Put the dough onto a clean worksurface or silicone mat, and briefly knead into a smooth ball. Divide in two.

   Roll each piece into a cylinder 3 - 4 cm in diameter, depending how big you'd like the diameter of the biscuits, and flatten the ends.

   Wrap each cylinder in a separate piece of cling film, twisting the ends to close (like a Christmas cracker). Holding the ends of the cling film, roll each cylinder up and down the work surface a few times to get it smoother.

4. Put the dough cylinders in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

   - If you remember to do it, turning a few times will prevent a flat underside

   - Can be chilled for longer or frozen if needed.

   Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170° C / 150° C Fan / Gas 3 / 325° F.

5. Remove one piece of dough from the fridge and unwrap.

   Take a sharp knife and cut off slices 5mm - 1cm thick: thinner will give you crisper biscuits, cut thicker for traditional, more tender shortbread.

   Transfer to the prepared baking trays, leaving space for them to spread a little. Optional: sprinkle each biscuit with a pinch of sugar.

   Repeat with the second piece of dough.

   Biscuits can also be frozen at this stage.

6. Put the trays into the oven and bake until the biscuits are cooked all the way through. This should take 15- 20 minutes, depending on how thick you cut them.

   Note that they may still be a little soft until cooler.

7. Leave the biscuits to cool on the tray for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and firm up.

   When cold, store in an airtight container.

   Best eaten within 3 - 4 days.

Recipe Notes

While it's nice to have some larger chunks of chocolate in the biscuits, having them too large makes cutting difficult, so smaller chunks are better. Bear in mind that the chocolate may break up a little more during processing. Chilling the chocolate first is recommended, particularly in hot weather.

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