Weekend baking inspiration: Rich hazelnut shortbread biscuits with chocolate

Little nutty, crunchy shortbreads are a delicious way to give someone a loving gift. Photo / Fresh Media

Rich, buttery shortbread is always delicious, but the addition of toasted hazelnuts to this recipe gives it a whole new dimension. Cut into decorative shapes and dipped in chocolate, these biscuits make a beautiful gift for someone special.

Hazelnut shortbread

Makes about 20 biscuits (depending on size)

Ingredients

60g hazelnuts

180g butter

100g castor sugar

180g plain flour

60g cornflour

150g dark chocolate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Spread the whole hazelnuts in a single layer, evenly over a baking tray. Roast for about 10 minutes until the hazelnuts smell toasted and the skins have started to crack. Allow to cool, then rub the hazelnuts in a clean tea towel to remove the skins.
3. Chop the hazelnuts finely. If you are doing this in a food processor, be very careful not to overprocess the nuts. You want them chopped, not sticky. Set the chopped nuts aside.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 160° C.
5. Cream the butter with half the sugar, stir in the chopped hazelnuts, then the flour and cornflour. Work in the remaining sugar.
6. Knead the dough well, roll out to a thickness of about 1.5cm and cut into rounds or use small decorative cutters. Place the shortbreads 5cm apart on baking trays lined with baking paper.
7. Place the shortbreads into the fridge for 15 minutes – this will help to hold the shape during cooking.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The shortbreads will be soft to start with, but will crisp as they cool. Once they are completely cool, melt the chocolate and half-dip the biscuits. Lay them on trays lined with baking paper and sprinkle a little shaved chocolate over the chocolate coating. Leave to set completely before storing in an airtight container.