Almond-Hazelnut Chocolate Crescent Cookies

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.com

~from Savoring Time in the Kitchen

Makes: about 48 cookies

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/4 cups finely ground almonds (you can find almonds already finely ground)

1/2 cup finely ground toasted hazelnuts (filberts), without skins preferably

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1-1/4 cups butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted, for drizzling over cookies

In a 350F oven, toast the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet for about 8 minutes.  Allow to cool.  When cool, transfer the hazelnuts to a food processor and pulse until finely ground but don't turn them into a paste. 

Combine flour, almonds, hazelnuts, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric or stand mixer on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.  Scrape the bowl occasionally with a spatula. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Cover and chill dough for about 2 hours until easy to handle.

Take spoonfuls of the dough and roll in your hands into 1-inch balls. On a flat surface, roll each ball into a short log with tapered ends and curve the log slightly into a crescent shape.  Place crescents 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. I use a silipat.

Bake in a 350F preheated oven for about 15 to 16 minutes or until edges are set. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

When the cookies are cooled, drizzle the melted chocolate them in a zig-zag pattern. Let stand until chocolate sets or refrigerate for about 20 minutes.