The Altitude Adjustment Section
Whenever Lexi is here, I feel I have to make healthier things, so here is an easy recipe for Hazelnut crisp from Local Flavors by Debra Madison, who never lets me down. And you can make the dough ahead, freeze it and slice and bake to order. She notes in the recipe, and I confirm, a little chocolate drizzle on top of these cookies doesn’t hurt!
Ingredients
1 cup toasted hazelnuts
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups A.P. flour
Procedure
Grind the hazelnuts in food processor with sugar till fine. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and salt till fluffy then add vanilla and egg yolk. Stir in hazelnut and flour. Roughly shape dough into log and wrap in plastic. Now you can roll it further and make it thinner about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably longer. To bake cookies, preheat oven to 350. Cut log into 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch slices and place on ungreased cookie sheet or on sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave 2 inches between cookies. Bake till lightly browned on top, 12-15 minutes. Cool on rack and store in airtight container. Don’t forget the optional chocolate drizzle on cooled cookies!
