I stumbled upon these bite-sized, hazelnut cookies from Domenica Cooks while researching a piece on stuffed Mediterranean dishes. That’s often how it works. Somehow, stuffed vegetables detoured to hazelnut cookies — before 20 minutes passed and I finally remembered what I had initially set out to do. A ‘Where are my keys? Oh, yeah, I’m holding them,’ kind of moment. Fast forward 24 hours and I’m at the grocery store, on my way home from work, to purchase ingredients to make these cookies. Am not a particularly big fan of sweets. Notwithstanding, these cookies are pleasantly sweet without going overboard.

But really, how cute are these cookies? In Italy, they’re referred to as baci di dama, which translates into lady’s kisses. Essentially, two buttery, hazelnut cookies with a filling of dark chocolate (I used around 72% cacao). These cookies are typical of the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, which is known for its hazelnuts. Although, you could easily swap out the hazelnuts for almonds if you prefer.

These kisses require only a handful of ingredients: toasted and ground hazelnuts, sugar, butter, flour, and salt. The addition of espresso powder is optional, though as a coffee lover I think it makes for a worthwhile addition.

I did weigh out each tiny little ball (5 grams each), which is the most time consuming part (although, you can also eyeball it). The key is then to place the dough balls in the freezer for about 10 minutes before baking, which prevents them from spreading in the oven. Overall, they’re quick and easy to make.

One or two (ok, maybe three) of these little guys make for a perfect pairing with that morning cup of coffee or shot of espresso.

Espresso Hazelnut Cookies

Recipe from Domenica Cooks

1 rounded cup (140 g) hazelnuts
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick; 115 g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature, cut into cubes
2 ounces (57 g) bittersweet (65 to 70%) chocolate, coarsely chopped

To toast the hazelnuts: Preheat the oven to 400F. Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the hazelnuts until golden brown and their skins start to crack, about 10 minutes. Wrap the hot hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel and let sit for 1 minute. Roll the towel back and forth vigorously to remove the skins. Not all the skins will come off, which is fine. Discard the skins and allow the nuts cool.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the nuts and sugar in a food processor and process until the hazelnuts are very finely ground. Add the espresso (if using) and salt and pulse to combine. Pulse in the flour until thoroughly combined. Add the cubed butter and process until the dough starts to clump together.

Press the dough into a smooth disk. Pinch off marble-sized pieces (5 grams or 1/8 ounce) of dough and roll them into balls. Place them on the baking sheets, about one inch apart (they don’t spread much). You should be able to fit 50 on each sheet.

Place the baking sheets in the freezer to chill while you preheat the oven to 325F. Chilling is an important step, as it will prevent the cookies from flattening out while they bake.

Remove the baking sheets from the freezer and bake, one sheet at a time, for 20 minutes, until they are lightly browned and set. Transfer the cookies to cooling racks and let them cool completely.

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl or pan set over gently simmering water. Let cool and thicken a bit. Spread the melted chocolate onto the bottom of a cookie, and sandwich it to another cookie. Gently place each “kiss” on a cooling rack and allow the chocolate to harden. The cookies will keep in an air-tight container for up to one week.