Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies for Valentine’s Day

For the past three weeks, we have been contemplating what we should make and then post for Valentine’s Day.  Our idea of a romantic dinner date at home never requires a great deal of time for preparation.  We totally understand that you want to impress your significant other with a fancy meal or something you have never made before, but think about it…here you are, inviting that special person over for dinner and while you have planned and planned and read through all those recipes, you are still not done making the meal by the time they arrive.  So now, your date is patiently waiting in your living room while you rush and scramble to finish making your meal so your date can actually start.  We have a suggestion, don’t make a “so many steps, it takes two pages in a book” type of meal.  Instead, go for a more simple approach.

For the main meal make something light and tasty that only takes 10-15 minutes tops and that does not create too many dirty dishes like Diablo Pasta with Clams and Shrimp

or Steamed Mussels in a White Wine Broth would work if you both like shellfish or you could try a simple, yet elegant salad with some grilled chicken or shrimp on top.

For dessert, go with something comforting and simple.  Try these Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies, you can make them earlier that day or even the day before.  Serve them with coffee or go crazy and open up some sparkling wine.  These cookies are not your typical chocolate chip cookie (although those would totally work too).  They have that heavenly combination of milk chocolate and hazelnuts, are not too sweet, slightly soft, a little chewy and  crispy just at the edges.  Making them is easy, just remember these tips:

#1 Use butter and eggs that are at room temperature for light and airy cookies instead of cookies that just weigh you down.

#2 Use a high quality unsweetened cocoa (we use Ghirardelli)

#3 Toast the hazelnuts to bring out their incredible nutty flavor.  Use a dry pan over medium-low heat, but stay close becasue they will burn the moment you take your eyes off them, trust us.

#4 For the classic chocolate-hazelnut combination, use milk chocolate chips, not semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate chips.  The milk chocolate gives you that heavenly combo, semi-sweet chocolate just doesn’t do it.

#5 For the perfect texture, take the cookies out of the oven when the edges are set, but the tops still look slightly undercooked, then allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet out of the oven for at least 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Make sure the oven racks are in the middle of the oven.

In a dry saucepan over medium-low heat slightly toast the chopped hazelnuts for 5-10 minutes until lightly browned.  While the nuts are in the pan, make sure you stay close as they can burn quite quickly.  After they have been lightly toasted, remove them from the pan so they can cool and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter for 1 minute.  Add both the granulated and brown sugar and continue to beat for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla extract and one egg then beat for about 30 seconds until they are incorporated then add the second egg and beat for another 30 seconds.  Add half of the cocoa powder and beat for 20 seconds or so until it is incorporated then add the second half of the cocoa powder and beat for another 20 seconds until incorporated.  (Doing this in two steps prevents you from being covered in cocoa powder)

In a separate bowl, sift the 2 cups of flour, baking soda and salt together.  Add a third of the sifted flour mixture to the butter mixture and use the mixer to slowly incorporate.  Add another third and slowly incorporate then finally add the remaining of the dry ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated.  Using a spatula, fold the hazelnuts and chocolate chips into the dough until they are evenly dispersed.

Place  heaping tablespoons of dough on to an ungreased baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.  Bake in the oven for 14 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle of the cookies look a little undone.  Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes then move the cookies to a cooling rack to cool even further.

Tagged as: Chocolate, Cookies, Date Night Recipes, hazelnuts, valentine's day