5 Ingredients or Fewer
Baci di Dama (Chocolate-Filled Hazelnut Cookies)
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47 Reviews
Aisha
December 10, 2016
Hi Emiko! Lovely write-up on this recipe and the background behind it. It really helps to get a feel for the recipe and make it your own when you know the context. This recipe reminds me of the North African cookies called ghribiya/gharibia, similar to the Spanish mantecao. Ghribiya, of which my mother used to make a huge batch for Eid that would last us more than a month, is most often made from ground almonds (the most common nut around in the region), but can be made from any other nut, hazelnut and walnut being my favorite. The proportions are very similar to your recipe, though with less sugar usually (maybe about 30% less). The baking is almost identical. The main difference in method is that the butter is usually melted, and some recipes call for a mix of oil and butter (I suspect, more for health reasons recently, and for economic reasons previously).
My question is, do you find these to be a bit grainy with regular sugar ? People usually use powdered sugar in ghribiya, and they are melt-in-mouth as you describe the baci di dama. Whenever I've made ghribiya with regular sugar, the texture is a bit grainy. These cookies being so similar, I was wondering if these wouldn't benefit from powdered sugar rather than regular sugar. Thanks for your answer !
My question is, do you find these to be a bit grainy with regular sugar ? People usually use powdered sugar in ghribiya, and they are melt-in-mouth as you describe the baci di dama. Whenever I've made ghribiya with regular sugar, the texture is a bit grainy. These cookies being so similar, I was wondering if these wouldn't benefit from powdered sugar rather than regular sugar. Thanks for your answer !
HogarthPress
November 5, 2015
They were delicious cookies !
To put the dough together, I used the the "fraisage" technique - smearing the flour, nuts, butter, and sugar with the heal of your hand across the countertop - to "knead" the dough, which easily came together with no crumbliness!
To put the dough together, I used the the "fraisage" technique - smearing the flour, nuts, butter, and sugar with the heal of your hand across the countertop - to "knead" the dough, which easily came together with no crumbliness!
runtothetable
February 12, 2015
I'm eager to make these cookies. I'm wondering what is the approx cup measure for 3 1/2 ounces of hazelnuts? I don't have a kitchen scale...yet. Thanks!
Emiko
February 12, 2015
I simply google the conversions! According to this website, it's 2/3 cup of whole hazelnuts: http://www.cookitsimply.com/measurements/cups/hazelnuts-whole-0070-013m5.html But I am also curious, how do you judge how much to buy when you are in the store? I always go by weight, which is easy as it's usually written on packets (or if I'm buying bulk, they usually go by weight too). But if you go to a store with just cup measurements, how do you know how much to buy? Just have always wondered this! ;)
jayaymeye
February 10, 2015
This is a great recipe, though mine didn't stay domed quite as nicely as yours. Is this due to heat? I did use raw hazelnuts that I roasted and then ground. I was afraid to grind too much lest it turn into hazelnut butter. How finely should it be ground?
Emiko
February 12, 2015
Yes, it's because of the heat! Finely ground is fine (like the almond or hazelnut meal you would find in a store). Take a look again at steps 3 & 4. Having them in refrigerator or freezer before you bake is helpful, and also as you can see in step 4, you should remove them before they reach the point you mention! Watch them carefully and take them out right when they are the hemisphere shape you want!
Sarah N.
February 9, 2015
I know this isn't traditional, but do you have any suggestions for making these for a vegan crowd? Would using fake butter work? Or not worth the effort?
Emiko
February 10, 2015
My guess is it really wouldn't work. These are really delicate cookies and this method is built up around working with the butter in this recipe, as I haven't worked with fake butter I wouldn't know how it would go in these delicate stages but my thoughts are that it probably wouldn't work out! Or if it did it may take several tries to find just the right method! Sorry I couldn't help!
Sarah N.
February 10, 2015
I guess I'll make these another time then-- thanks for the speedy response!
Dasha
February 10, 2015
I tried it with earth balance "butter", and it worked technically, but given that there are so few ingredients the flavor was not off and it left that margarine texture/feeling left in the mouth. Maybe people who eat vegan are used to it, but butter ones were far superior.
Karen R.
December 16, 2014
I made these successfully with 100 g hazelnut meal. I did allow the dough to rest in the fridge overnight. I also froze the formed balls for at least 15 min before baking. Of the four cookies I baked for an exchange, these were the ones I would make again!
Adam
June 20, 2014
So I made this cookies. I did everything you said in this recipe except of cool off dough before baking in the oven. After I took out cookies from oven they were melted. What did I wrong?
Emiko
June 20, 2014
Ah, well, you said it yourself! Cooling off the cookies is a really important step as it helps them keep their shape while they bake. Also, as noted in the recipe at step 4, you really need to watch them carefully and pull them out when they have melted just into hemispheres - don't let them melt all the way! They'll still be delicious but they won't be baci di dama ;)
Adam
June 20, 2014
Well, thanks a lot. I did not tkink that that step it so important. The next time (and I'm pretty sure that there will be) i will apply to your advice. Anyway the cookies are delicious!
Dusanka
April 20, 2014
I just made these and knew I was risking the outcome as I did not weigh the ingredients AND used pre-ground meal (but it was a last minute decision last night). As could be expected, the mixture was way too crumbly, very much like breadcrumbs and could barely be bound. And when I went to roll them this morning I could just sort of scrape the mixture and then somehow form it together with my hands when the heat set it. When baked the did not flatten at all, they kept the exact shape I made when shaping them with my hands. However, they are delicious. I just dipped one end of them into the chocolate, and they're still pretty. I'll definitely make these again ... the proper way.
Dasha
April 6, 2014
I had the same issue as one of the previous reviewers - the dough is way too crumbly to hold together. I weighed all ingredients, and technically, if flour is more (or less) dry, it would be reflected in the weight, so going by weight (rather than volume) should be the optimal way to measure, but it did not help I'm this case.
Emiko
April 6, 2014
Fresh hazelnut meal ground from good hazelnuts is always the best way to go as when ground it releases oil and so is slightly paste-like (think peanut butter). I would always recommend to go this way rather than pre-ground (dry) hazelnut meal, as it's not only the traditional way but also I can't vouch for the pre-ground hazelnut in the recipe process! The quality of the nuts is key. ;)
Dasha
April 6, 2014
Still ones not answer the question of proportions. Or, are you saying hat a hazelnut butter would be better for this recipe?
Emiko
April 6, 2014
Oh sorry, didn't realise that that was a question! If you follow the proportions given in the recipe, using whole hazelnuts, ground, I'm sure you'll see a difference. This is the recipe that Piedmont grandmothers have been using over and over again and again for a long time! I have never used hazelnut butter but I wold venture to say no, don't try it! I've heard that an excessively dry/crumbly mixture can be saved with a bit of cold water (try a tablespoon, not much more), but I've never had to do this. Hope this helps answer your question.
camilleong
April 6, 2014
Hi Emiko,
Thank you for this recipe, this is a keeper and I absolutely love the taste however I just have a few questions
I set my oven to 150c, and my cookies still spread out too much, is this because my oven is still to warm? Or I did not knead my dough long enough to develop the structure of the cookies?
I left them in for only 15 minutes as to not over bake them, however they seem to be undercooked in the middle, is this how the cookies are supposed to be? Or should I have left them in for 2 to 3 more minutes to dry them out?
Thanks!
Thank you for this recipe, this is a keeper and I absolutely love the taste however I just have a few questions
I set my oven to 150c, and my cookies still spread out too much, is this because my oven is still to warm? Or I did not knead my dough long enough to develop the structure of the cookies?
I left them in for only 15 minutes as to not over bake them, however they seem to be undercooked in the middle, is this how the cookies are supposed to be? Or should I have left them in for 2 to 3 more minutes to dry them out?
Thanks!
Emiko
April 6, 2014
Yes, sounds like it was too hot. It could be that your oven is actually a bit hotter than it says it is but the only way to tell is to buy an oven thermometer and test it out - 15 mins at most is usually enough time. They should be really soft in the middle (this is what makes them so melt in the mouth!), but once cooled they should harden up a little to be easy to handle (though still delicate) but they're not like regular cookies. An indicator that they are actually cooked is that they don't taste like flour. Hope that helps! :)
Coffeebeanpdx
April 3, 2014
Emiko, thank you so much for sharing this recipe -- and all of the other authentic Italian recipes you've posted so far. (I'm itching to try the Sardinian torrone recipe you posted a while back.)
Anyway, I made the baci di dama last night. (Actually, it took 2 nights to make them, as I made the dough on Tuesday and refrigerated it overnight, according to your instructions.) I tried one of them this morning; it was delicious - very light, flaky and delicate.
However, I'm a little concerned about the way I made the dough. Your instructions stated that I should use very cold butter and work very quickly when forming the dough. Consequently, I used frozen butter and handled the dough as little as possible, which resulted in the dough still being very crumbly. (In fact, if I recall correctly, the dough continued to be crumbly and to fall apart when I wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it into the fridge. I admit that there still were pieces of butter in the dough at that time. I cubed the butter per your instructions, but perhaps I didn't cut the butter into small enough cubes? Also, I tend to be paranoid about any shortbread, scone or biscuit recipe that calls for a light touch in handling the dough; I always worry that I'm overworking it, that I didn't put in cold-enough butter, etc.) I reworked the dough a bit when I took it out of the fridge and then refrigerated some of it (and froze the rest because I ran out of fridge room) for about 2 hrs. Even then, the dough still was crumbly. It didn't start to come together until the butter became a lot softer (which happened as I was forming the dough into half-spheres (I forgot to mold them into balls per your instructions)). Was my butter still too cold? Or did I fail to work the dough sufficiently? (For reference, I used pre-ground roasted hazelnut meal from Freddy Guys Hazelnuts and Kerrygold unsalted butter. I also doubled the recipe.) In the end, the baci di dama turned out quite light-colored but very delicate and crispy. (You still can see a lot of flecks of hazelnuts in my baci di dama.) Although you can't see a picture of them, were my baci di dama failures?
Anyway, I made the baci di dama last night. (Actually, it took 2 nights to make them, as I made the dough on Tuesday and refrigerated it overnight, according to your instructions.) I tried one of them this morning; it was delicious - very light, flaky and delicate.
However, I'm a little concerned about the way I made the dough. Your instructions stated that I should use very cold butter and work very quickly when forming the dough. Consequently, I used frozen butter and handled the dough as little as possible, which resulted in the dough still being very crumbly. (In fact, if I recall correctly, the dough continued to be crumbly and to fall apart when I wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it into the fridge. I admit that there still were pieces of butter in the dough at that time. I cubed the butter per your instructions, but perhaps I didn't cut the butter into small enough cubes? Also, I tend to be paranoid about any shortbread, scone or biscuit recipe that calls for a light touch in handling the dough; I always worry that I'm overworking it, that I didn't put in cold-enough butter, etc.) I reworked the dough a bit when I took it out of the fridge and then refrigerated some of it (and froze the rest because I ran out of fridge room) for about 2 hrs. Even then, the dough still was crumbly. It didn't start to come together until the butter became a lot softer (which happened as I was forming the dough into half-spheres (I forgot to mold them into balls per your instructions)). Was my butter still too cold? Or did I fail to work the dough sufficiently? (For reference, I used pre-ground roasted hazelnut meal from Freddy Guys Hazelnuts and Kerrygold unsalted butter. I also doubled the recipe.) In the end, the baci di dama turned out quite light-colored but very delicate and crispy. (You still can see a lot of flecks of hazelnuts in my baci di dama.) Although you can't see a picture of them, were my baci di dama failures?
Emiko
April 4, 2014
Doesn't sound like a failure at all to me! They are incredibly delicate and soft and crumbly, but probably if you do them another time, I would make sure to incorporate the butter well (it does need to be cold but as you're working the dough, naturally it softens a bit and this is perfectly fine but you just don't want to overwork it so much so that it heats up in your hands unnecessarily. Just work it until it all blends together perfectly, then you're done and can let it rest. Also, pre-ground hazelnut meal is drier than when you grind fresh hazelnuts (depending on how fresh they are they tend to form more of a paste, like peanut butter) so you can expect a slightly crumbly dough, which is ok too, it's just a little more delicate to work with. Finally, you will want to roll them into balls next time, it will allow a bit more time in the oven as the butter (and therefore the balls) melts so the cookies can firm up more without colouring. But otherwise, they sound perfectly fine - light, flaky and delicate is exactly what you want! :)
Coffeebeanpdx
April 4, 2014
Thank you so much, Emiko! I definitely will work the dough more next time. And it's good to know that pre-ground hazelnut meal is drier than fresh.
I really thought the baci di dama were delicious, as did my friend w/whom I shared them. I was able to make enough baci di dama for 3 bags containing a dozen baci di dama. I've never had baci di dama that were so delicate and light and flaky before. I can't wait to make more (as soon as I hit the farmers market this weekend to get more hazelnut meal or even raw hazelnuts).
And I love your website! Your instructions are so clear, your stories/background re: each recipe are so interesting and your photos are lovely. (Sorry for gushing!) I've marked a number of recipes that I want to try (e.g., the homemade marscapone). I also love the fact that so many of your recipes are traditional. As much as I love new twists on dishes, I love and appreciate recipes that stick to the old ways too.
I really thought the baci di dama were delicious, as did my friend w/whom I shared them. I was able to make enough baci di dama for 3 bags containing a dozen baci di dama. I've never had baci di dama that were so delicate and light and flaky before. I can't wait to make more (as soon as I hit the farmers market this weekend to get more hazelnut meal or even raw hazelnuts).
And I love your website! Your instructions are so clear, your stories/background re: each recipe are so interesting and your photos are lovely. (Sorry for gushing!) I've marked a number of recipes that I want to try (e.g., the homemade marscapone). I also love the fact that so many of your recipes are traditional. As much as I love new twists on dishes, I love and appreciate recipes that stick to the old ways too.
Emiko
April 5, 2014
With really, really good whole hazelnuts, I think this recipe is even better. Let me know what you think if you give it another try. Oh and thank you for the compliments! Made my day! :) The homemade mascarpone is a winner, if you ask me - so, so easy you'll hardly believe it! Hope you enjoy it.
[email protected]
March 31, 2014
Can this recipe be doubled? It seems like a careful recipe so would want plenty to eat & share. Thanks
Lisa M.
March 30, 2014
In the intro, you referenced making this only with hazelnut meal. Did you mean it's possible to eliminate the white flour and make it only with the hazelnut meal?
Emiko
March 31, 2014
Ah no, sorry, I meant in terms of the nuts - you can use a mixture of half almonds, half hazelnuts or all almonds or all hazelnut but you still need the help of some flour to hold it together. You could reduce the amount of flour, however, or if you want a gluten free version, you can use rice flour to replace the white flour.
Beth100
March 25, 2014
I see the difference now, thanks, all! I can vouch for the deliciousness (and completely-worth-it labor-intensiveness) of David's version - beloved of friends and family at Christmastime! - and am excited to try a slightly different version.
Emiko
March 26, 2014
Hi Beth - just checked out the recipe to compare David Lebovitz's (or actually Terresa Murphy's) version. The recipe I have published uses exact portions of each ingredient (i.e. 100 grams each of everything), where TM's recipe has a higher ratio of hazelnut and flour. She also calls for room temperature butter, where I find it is important to use cold butter. In fact, the greatest difference is in the method, which is quite different and people have noted in TM's recipe that they have trouble getting it to come together into a dough (probably because there is not enough butter compared to the rest of ingredients?). I've tested this recipe many times with different methods and this has by far been the best way and it happens to also be the most traditional (which is what all my recipes are about!). Anyhow, as mentioned earlier in the comments, this is the standard Piedmont recipe for baci di dama. I'd be interested to know if you try it and what you think of it!
Jennifer
March 25, 2014
This has a lower cook temp than some other recipes, I noticed. I would love more details about the recommended temperature/cook time and how to be confident that they are cooked through. I am excited to try this recipe!
Emiko
March 26, 2014
The low temperature is vital to the success of these cookies, especially if you want a perfect hemisphere without having to add other (unorthodox) ingredients to it. Just watch them like a hawk - they don't take long to cook - and as soon as you see them melting down from a round ball to a hemisphere, take them out, and gently touch one. It should feel dry and look opaque rather than shiny (see how shiny they are when unbaked, there is a photo above). And they should also be quite pale, you do not want these to brown. They will be SUPER soft, so be gentle when touching, don't try to move them and don't worry, once they cool, they harden. Hope that helps!
magpiebaker
March 25, 2014
@Beth100 I think this is supposed to be a traditional cookie, so it's certainly been covered in multiple places. The proportions of nut to everything else looks different, though. Can't wait to try these!
ChefJune
March 25, 2014
These cookies sound divine, but I'm pretty sure they don't qualify as "biscotti." That word connotes a cookie that is baked twice.
ChefJune
March 25, 2014
actually, "biscotti" connotes cookies (plural) that are baked twice. One is a biscotto.
Emiko
March 26, 2014
Actually biscotti is the general Italian word for cookie (or biscuit in UK English)! :) I speak fluent Italian, having lived in Italy so long, so sometimes I forget that in English "biscotti" is usually associated with the cookie that Italians would call "cantuccini" - it's true though that biscotti literally means twice-cooked and cantuccini (and other ancient forms of Italian cookies) are definitely twice-cooked! But here (and in general in the Italian language), it just simply means "cookie". :)
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