Noel Hazelnut Cookies
1 1/4 cups plain flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup castor sugar
60g ground hazelnuts
90g unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1. Buffer several baking trays. Sift flour, salt and sugar into a bowl, then mix in nuts: Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then mix in egg yolks to form a soft dough. Divide in two. Mix one portion with the cocoa.
2. Roll out each dough thinly on a floured surface. Using star-shape cookie cutters, cut out shapes from each dough (cut larger stars from the cocoa dough). With a pastry brush, coat the underside of the smaller stars with egg white and place on the top of the larger cocoa ones. Place cookies, slightly apart, on baking trays, then refrigerate for 30 mins. In the meantime, preheat the oven to a moderate 180C.
3. Bake cookies in the oven for 10-12 mins or until very lightly browned. Using a palette knife, carefully remove from baking trays onto wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Makes 16-20.