Professor Butter Beard’s Valentine Shortbreads
8-10 dozen cookies – depending on your chosen cutter
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
18 ounces (4 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus ¼ cup more to top the cookies before baking)
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
Zest of one orange or two clementines
2 tsp vanilla paste
1 Tbsp hazelnut extract
1 ½ cups toasted and finely chopped hazelnuts
11 ounces mini dark chocolate chips (one full bag)
1) Place the granulated sugar, the confectioner’s sugar, orange zest and the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer and cream together on low for 5-8 minutes.
2) Whisk together the flour and the salt.
3) Add the vanilla paste and hazelnut extract to the creamed mixture and mix for 30 seconds to fully incorporate. Slowly add the flour on low speed until fully incorporated – do not overmix.
4) Add in the mini chocolate chips and one cup of the chopped hazelnuts and mix briefly on low until evenly incorporated.
5) If you have time, divide the dough into two pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour. You can go ahead with the recipe if you are in a hurry.
6) Stir the remaining ½ cup of nuts together with ¼ cup granulated sugar. Set aside.
7) Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line your sheet pans with parchment paper.
8) Roll ½ the dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼” thick. Cut into 1 ½” hearts and place them on the baking sheets about 1” apart. Gather the scraps and roll again and cut into the circles. Then do the same with the second half of the dough.
9) Before baking, sprinkle the tops with the hazelnut/sugar mix and lightly press in with your fingers.
10) Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the edges are just beginning to brown. Remove them from the oven, let them cool 5 minutes on the pans and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
(Note – this dough freezes very well. Go ahead and make the full recipe and have some dough ready for future cravings.)
