Raspberry Hazelnut Schnitten

This recipe was the first-place winner in the “Other Cookie” category in the 2014 Holiday Treat Contest in the News & Observer on December 10,2014.

Thanksgiving weekend is when I start the annual tradition of baking cookies for Christmas. Luckily I have a large freezer and I can preserve the baked delights until Christmas Eve. I usually make at least a dozen different types of cookies and I take them out of the freezer as needed. Over the next few weeks I will share some of my favorite recipes.  This week’s featured cookie is my daughters favorite, raspberry hazelnut schnitten. This Austrian delight consists of a shortbread cookie topped with raspberry jam and hazelnuts and then dipped in chocolate—they make you feel like you have died and gone to cookie heaven!

Servings: 24 cookies

Shortbread Dough

½ C Salted Butter (at room temperature)

1/3 C Granulated Sugar

1 Lg Egg

2 C All-Purpose Flour

Filling/Topping *

½ C Raspberry Preserves (seedless) *

½ C Toasted Hazelnuts (chopped coarse)

6 oz Semisweet Chocolate

Spread the whole hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 325 oven for 10 minutes stirring occasionally, or until the skins begin to brown.  Place the toasted hazelnuts on a clean kitchen towel and rub them until most of the skins rub off.  Cool them completely and then chop them finely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.  You will see it change color and texture until it gets lighter in color and fluffy. Beat in the egg until completely incorporated.  Add the flour and mix until it forms a ball. Divide the dough into 2 round balls.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for EXACTLY 1 hour.  If you refrigerate any longer the dough will get too hard to roll out. 

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Draw a 15”x4” rectangle on a sheet of wax paper and flip over so that drawing is on the bottom. Roll out each ball of dough between two sheets of wax paper (one had the rectangle) into a 15 x 4 inch rectangle.  Peel the top sheet of wax paper off of the dough and trim the sides. You can use the trimmings to fill in the corners. Flip over the wax paper with the dough and place it on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper, then peel off the remaining wax paper.  Fold the sides inward ½ inch, keeping the sides even, to form a lip around the edge of the dough (see photo 1). Repeat for the second ball of dough. Carefully spread half the jam on each rectangle of dough and sprinkle the hazelnuts on the jam (see photo 2).

Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Leave the baked cookies on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes.  While still warm, cut each rectangle into 12 slices.  Place the cut slices on a wire cooling rack until completely cooled.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or on a low setting in your microwave, stirring frequently until just melted.  Dip the long end of each cookie into the melted chocolate being careful not to burn your fingers in the hot chocolate.  Let the excess chocolate pour off and place the cookie on a sheet of wax paper until completely cooled.  Place the cookies in an air tight container with wax paper between the layers of cookies.  The cookies can be frozen for up to 1 month if you want to make them ahead of time.

*  Cookie Variations – This is a very versatile recipe.  You can change a variety of the ingredients to customize it to your own tastes:

1.    Change the flavor of jam

2.    Change the nuts

3.    Dip in white chocolate

4.    Skip the chocolate and make a glaze of 1/4 C powdered sugar and 1 TBS hazelnut liquor

Hazelnuts

Hazelnuts, also called filberts, are a staple of Italian cooking.  While most Americans are familiar with Hazelnut coffee this sweet and healthy nut is commonly used in cookies and pastries.  One of my favorite foods is Nutella, a chocolate and hazelnut spread that is used instead of peanut butter in Italy.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Raspberry Hazelnut Schnitten.