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Hazelnut Slice Cookies with Dark Chocolate
🛒 Ingredients
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250 g plain flour
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100 g sugar
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1 sachet vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla extract
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1 pinch of salt
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125 g cold butter, cut into small pieces
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1 egg
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120 g whole hazelnuts
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150 g dark chocolate couverture
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A little flour for shaping
📊 Nutritional Information
This recipe is also available in German.
📌 Overview
These hazelnut slice cookies are crisp slice-and-bake biscuits made from a shortcrust-style dough with whole hazelnuts and a dark chocolate coating. The dough is shaped into a long log, chilled until firm, cut into 1 cm slices and baked until the edges just begin to brown. After cooling, the cookies become crisp and can be dipped halfway into melted dark couverture. The most important step is chilling the dough well before slicing, because this keeps the shape neat and prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
👨🍳 How to make Hazelnut Slice Cookies with Dark Chocolate
- 1
Mix the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt in a large bowl.
- 2
Add the cold butter pieces and the egg. Knead by hand until a smooth, compact dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add only a little extra flour.
- 3
Knead in the whole hazelnuts evenly, taking care not to crush them too much.
- 4
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a log about 40 cm long. The log should be slightly flattened rather than perfectly round, so the cookies sit more steadily on the baking tray.
- 5
Place the dough log on a large board, cover it and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, until firm enough to slice cleanly.
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Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional heat and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- 7
Cut the chilled dough into slices about 1 cm thick. Use a sharp knife and cut straight down so the hazelnuts do not tear the dough apart.
- 8
Place the slices on the prepared tray with a little space between them.
- 9
Bake on the middle shelf for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown. The cookies should still look fairly pale in the centre.
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Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies cool on the tray. They firm up and become crisp as they cool.
- 11
Melt the dark chocolate couverture gently in a warm water bath. Dip each cooled cookie halfway into the chocolate.
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Place the dipped cookies on baking paper and let the chocolate set completely before storing.
🧠 Why It Works
The recipe works because the cold butter creates a firm shortcrust-style dough that slices cleanly after chilling. Whole hazelnuts add crunch and a strong nut aroma, while the slightly flattened log gives the cookies a stable shape. Baking only until the edges begin to brown keeps the centre from drying out too much. The cookies are fragile when warm but become crisp once cool, and the dark chocolate coating adds bitterness that balances the sweetness of the dough.
🛠️ Troubleshooting
Why does the dough crumble when I slice it?
The dough may be too cold, too dry or cut with a blunt knife. Let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes at room temperature and use a sharp knife to cut clean slices.
Why do the cookies spread too much during baking?
The dough was probably not chilled long enough or the butter became too soft. Chill the log for at least 1 hour before slicing and bake the cookies while still cold.
Why are the hazelnut cookies not crisp?
They may need to cool completely. These cookies are softer when warm and become crisp only after cooling on the tray.
Why do the edges brown too quickly?
The slices may be too thin or the oven too hot. Cut the dough about 1 cm thick and remove the cookies as soon as the edges start to colour.
Why does the chocolate coating not set properly?
The couverture may have been overheated or the cookies may not have been fully cool. Melt the chocolate gently over warm water and dip only completely cooled cookies.
💡 Tips and Variations
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For neater slices, chill the dough log until firm but not rock-hard, then cut with a sharp knife.
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If the log becomes too soft while slicing, place it back in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes.
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Toast the whole hazelnuts briefly before adding them for a stronger nut flavour, but let them cool completely before kneading them into the dough.
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For a more festive version, add a pinch of cinnamon or finely grated orange zest to the dough.
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Dip only half of each cookie into the chocolate so the crisp cookie texture remains visible and the sweetness stays balanced.
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Use dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate if you want a less sweet, more balanced flavour.
📦 Storage
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Store the fully cooled and set hazelnut slice cookies in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
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Place baking paper between layers if the chocolate coating is delicate or the room is warm.
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Keep the cookies in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat, so the chocolate does not soften.
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The unbaked dough log can be prepared 1 day ahead and kept wrapped in the refrigerator.
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Undipped baked cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw and dip in chocolate after defrosting for the best finish.
🍷 Pairing
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Serve with espresso, black coffee or unsweetened tea to balance the buttery dough and chocolate coating.
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For a winter cookie plate, pair them with vanilla crescents, cinnamon biscuits or simple butter cookies.
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They also work well with hot chocolate, mulled tea or a small glass of dessert wine.
❓ F.A.Q.
Can I make hazelnut slice cookies ahead of time?
Yes. The dough log can be prepared a day ahead and kept in the fridge. The baked cookies also keep well in a tin for up to 2 weeks.
Can I freeze hazelnut slice cookies?
Yes, but it is best to freeze them before dipping in chocolate. After thawing, dip the cookies in freshly melted couverture.
How thick should slice-and-bake cookies be?
About 1 cm is ideal for these hazelnut cookies. Thinner slices can brown too quickly, while thicker slices may stay too soft in the centre.
Can I use chopped hazelnuts instead of whole hazelnuts?
Yes. Chopped hazelnuts make the dough easier to slice, but whole hazelnuts give the cookies a more rustic texture and stronger crunch.
Why are the cookies soft after baking?
They are naturally softer while warm. Let them cool completely on the tray; they become crisp as they cool.
What chocolate is best for dipping hazelnut cookies?
Dark couverture or good-quality dark chocolate works best because it sets well and balances the sweetness of the cookie dough.
🏛️ History and Tradition
Hazelnut slice cookies belong to the Central European tradition of Christmas and winter biscuits made from butter-rich doughs, nuts and chocolate. Slice-and-bake cookies are especially practical because the dough can be shaped ahead, chilled and then cut into even pieces shortly before baking. Despite the name sometimes being rendered as hazelnut bread in older German recipes, this preparation is closer to crisp hazelnut biscuits than to a leavened bread.
Hazelnut slice cookies are practical, crisp and ideal for make-ahead baking. The dough is shaped into a log, chilled, sliced and baked until only the edges begin to colour. Once cool, the cookies become crisp and can be dipped in dark chocolate for a simple but effective finish.
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