Hazelnut shortbread cookies

Growing up, we didn't eat a ton of sweets...well, there were plenty of chocolates but dessert was not really common.  Not because we were a health-conscious family but because growing up in Hong Kong, desserts and pastries were just not the thing.  Yes, there were egg tarts, various dessert soups, and chestnut filled sponge cakes (one of my favorites) but in general, it was about the savory.  And believe me, there are incredible savories to be had in Hong Kong.  But one of the sweet flavors I do remember eating and loving a lot as a child was butter cookies.  Those Danish cookies in the blue tin?  Oh, I still love the smell and taste of those cookies - just the simplicity of butter and sugar.  I loved how they came in slightly different shapes, tucked away in little white paper liners.  I would pore over it considering my options, deciding which one I'd want.  My favorite was the pretzel shape with the sanding sugar on top. 

I thought about how much I love butter or shortbread cookies as a kid when I was making these hazelnut shortbread cookies.  It's fascinating how a scent or taste conjures up memories.  But gone are the days when I can eat whatever I want without some consideration of fat and calorie count and the ingredient list.  So while I may love butter cookies, I tend to shy away from them.  It's really hard to eat just one.  But when I saw this recipe for chocolate hazelnut cookies from Ina Garten's most recent book, I had to try it.  I love hazelnuts and this recipe did not disappoint. 

For someone who loves to bake, I've shamelessly proclaimed my dislike of making roll-out cookies in the past.  I really appreciate beautiful things and the natural talent and patience some people have to make a gorgeous sugar cookie iced to perfection.  But honesty, rolling out dough and busting out the rolling pin and cookie cutters are not my favorite activities since I'm not the most patient person in the world.  So I usually reserve roll-out cookies for the holidays.  But this recipe called out to me and I was willing to dig out my rolling pin to give it a go. 

Luckily, this was quite painless and practically enjoyable.  The dough holds together beautifully and this Fall weather is perfect for handling this type of butter cookie dough (it's not melting right under you).  Plus, there is no icing to conjure up.  I love the specks of hazelnut throughout this cookie dough and the wonderful smell they gives off when baking.  You could sandwich two of these cookies with Nutella as the recipe intends but ultimately, I liked it plain and unadorned best.  Even my little one preferred it plain and he's a fan of Nutella like the rest of us.  There's so much flavor in the cookie itself that the Nutella gets lost anyway.  I definitely ate more than one.

And confession time: I would've eaten more had I not over-baked half my batch.  I was chatting on the phone with a friend of mine and totally forgot about the cookies in the oven (hence, I didn't rotate the cookie sheets like I was supposed to) until they were just about done and the timer was ready to beep.  By that time, the tray at the bottom of the oven had over-browned.  It's a shame since these were so good but these things happen.  And I'm happy at any chance to chat with a friend even if it means sacrificing some cookies.  I can always make more another day.  And I will make these again.  There's something really elegant about them.  If I was the tea party throwing type (and in my mind, I am, but in practical daily life, it rarely happens), this is the perfect cookie to serve with a cup of tea.