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From the Italian Christmas kitchen

Cinnamon Hazelnut Butter Cookies

Almonds, citrus and a little Christmas tradition.

Hand-shaped hazelnut butter ovals with cinnamon in the dough and a plain, finely speckled surface.

Hand-shaped hazelnut butter ovals with cinnamon in the dough and a plain, finely speckled surface.
Cinnamon Hazelnut Butter Cookies
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Cinnamon Hazelnut Butter Cookies

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Hands-on35 min
Chill / rest30 min
All batches36 min
Cooling30 min
Total time131 min
Yield24 cookies

Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.

Allow about 131 minutes: 35 hands-on, 30 chilling or resting, 36 whole-batch cooking and 30 cooling/setting. Cooling includes tray rest. Follow the method for batch sizes and doneness cues.

Hand-shaped hazelnut butter ovals with cinnamon in the dough and a plain, finely speckled surface.

Ingredients

Optional sprinkles are for decoration and are not included in the nutrition estimate. Spice weights are approximate.

Instructions

Mix the spiced nut dough

  1. 1Mix the spiced nut doughWhisk flour, hazelnuts, cinnamon and salt. Stir butter with sugar until smooth, then mix in yolk, milk and vanilla. Fold in the dry mixture just until a cohesive dough forms. The hazelnuts are already roasted and cool.

Shape short ovals

  1. 2Shape short ovalsDivide into 24 portions of about 22 g. Roll into short thick ovals about 2 inches long, then flatten to approximately 1/2 inch thick. Keep the ends rounded. Put 12 per lined sheet with 1 inch gaps and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Bake

  1. 3BakeHeat the oven to 350°F (177°C) conventional or 325°F (163°C) fan. Bake each sheet separately on the middle rack for 16–18 minutes, allowing 36 minutes for both. Look for dry set surfaces and light golden bases, not dark brown cinnamon-colored edges.

Cool completely

  1. 4Cool completelyRest each batch on its sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack for 20 minutes. Allow 30 minutes of cooling after the last batch before packing.

Chef’s Science & Pro Tips

Ingredient science

Dry finely ground nuts blend better than hazelnut paste.

Technique & texture

Keep cinnamon in the dough; these ovals have no exterior sugar coating.

Finishing & serving

Short rounded ends bake more evenly than sharply tapered tips.

Storage and make-ahead

Keeping your cookies fresh
MethodHow longWhat to do
Room temperatureUp to 5 daysKeep fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool dry room, separate from moist cookies.
RefrigerationNot needed for baked cookiesAvoid condensation that softens the crumb.
Raw freezingUp to 1 monthFreeze wrapped unbaked dough airtight; thaw in the refrigerator before shaping and baking.
Baked freezingUp to 1 monthFreeze completely cool cookies airtight with parchment separators.
RestoringBefore servingThaw inside the closed container at room temperature.

Notes

  • Use dry roasted hazelnut meal and shape all ovals to the same thickness. This home formula has not been kitchen-tested.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 24; required fillings and toppings included, optional decorations excluded. Brands, unused coating and actual serving size affect the estimate.

Calories109 kcal
Fat7.0 g
Saturated fat3.3 g
Carbohydrates10.6 g
Sugar4.4 g
Fiber0.5 g
Protein1.4 g
Sodium26 mg
Serving size1 cookie
A platter of Italian Christmas cookies
ITALIAN CHRISTMAS BAKINGReal ingredients. Clear steps. Italian Christmas magic.Almonds, citrus and thoughtful baking
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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I roll them in cinnamon sugar?

No. The cinnamon is mixed into the dough and the baked surface stays uncoated.

Can I use whole hazelnuts instead of ground?

No. Ground nuts supply part of this dough's structure; whole nuts would require a different formula.

Must I toast the nuts first?

Use already roasted ground hazelnuts as listed. Roasting raw nuts would add cooking and cooling time.

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Share a little Italian Christmas joy

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