Recipes 

Baci di dama – ‘lady’s kisses’

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Baci di dama – ‘lady’s kisses’

These beautiful little hazelnut biscuits are famous all over Italy, often packaged in beautiful tins and boxes for giving as gifts around Christmas. They are, however, incredibly easy to make at home, with simple hazelnut shortbread sandwiched together with rich dark chocolate.

Ingredients

Makes 2

  • 75g (2 3/4 ozs) of blanched hazelnuts

  • 75g (2 3/4 ozs) of sugar

  • 75g o(2 3/4 ozs) 0f plain flour

  • 75g (2 3/4 ozs) of unsalted butter, cubed

  • 60g (2 1/4 ozs) of dark chocolate

Directions

1  Preheat an oven to 180°C/350F Place the hazelnuts on a tray and toast in the oven for 6 minutes, or until lightly colored. Stir the nuts occasionally while toasting to ensure an even finish. Transfer the nuts to a blender and blitz to a fine powder

2  Add the sugar, flour and butter into the blender with the hazelnuts and blitz until a dough begins to form

3  Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and roll into 2 logs. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour

4  Divide the dough into 8g (1/4 oz) balls and lay out on a baking tray lined with Baking Paper. Place back in the fridge to rest for another hour

5  Preheat the oven to 150°C/300F. Bake the biscuits for 20-25 minutes or until the spheres have relaxed into dome shapes and are dry to the touch. Transfer to a cooling rack

6  Once the biscuits have cooled, melt the chocolate in a microwave . Using a piping bag or small teaspoon, cover the flat end of one biscuit with chocolate and stick another biscuit to it to form a little sandwich

7  Carefully place the biscuits in the fridge for 5 minutes to set the chocolate

8  Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days

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