Chocolate and Hazelnut Diamond Cookies

Diamonds are forever, forever, forever… ♫

Or are they?…

Well, I tell you, these ones lasted one working day:

My labmates really enjoyed them, and this is always a good sign!

This was the first dessert I baked coming from my amazing America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book, and I was not disappointed.

The cookie has a scrumptious buttery taste, while the chocolate-hazelnut combination is simply perfect!

I’m sensing there will be plenty of baking from this book! But let’s start with these chocolate diamond cookies!

Preheat the oven to 190ºC (375ºF). Line a rimmed baking sheet (tray) with parchment paper. The recipe calls for a 45x33cm (18×13-inch) tray. I used a 33x33cm (13×13-inch) one and the result was still fine.

First of, whisk the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) in a big bowl and cut the softened butter in cubes.

Adding one by one the butter pieces beat the mixture until crumbly and somewhat wet. Add the cream cheese and beat again. The batter will not be homogeneous, therefore use your hands to knead it until it becomes a mass.

Using your hands, or a rolling pin and then your hands, press the dough in the baking sheet.

Bake for about 20min, or until the dough is light golden brown. Do NOT over-bake the cookies! I always prefer to be on the raw side than on the over-baked side.

Remove it from the oven and sprinkle immediately the chocolate chips on top.

Leave for some minutes and spread the chocolate with a spatula evenly on the cookie dough.

Lick the spatula when you’re done. Ok, this is not officially in the instructions, but you know you’ll do it.

Chop the hazelnuts in the food processor.

Sprinkle the hazelnuts on top of the chocolate. Do not allow the chocolate to cool before you do that or the hazelnuts will not stick to it.

Here is a close-up of the sequence:

Allow it to cool completely and then cut the diamond-shaped cookies.

After slicing you’ll end up with some smaller pieces, that I considered not presentable and therefore I HAD to eat 🙂

Remove the cookies, transfer to wire rack if they are still warm, or just eat/serve them!

Now, just eat one. Two. Three. EAT ALL THE COOKIES!!

🙂

By the way, I am currently obsessing over the Hunger Games book trilogy! I immensely enjoyed the first book, and I’m now reading the second book, Catching Fire. So, NO SPOILERS please!!

We will also soon go to the cinema to watch the movie!

What are you reading and/or watching?? 

Have a nice day!

INGREDIENTS

Barely adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Makes around 25 generously cut cookies, or many more normally sliced ones

354g all-purpose flour

145g superfine sugar (you can prepare it yourself by processing granulated sugar in the food processor)

¼ tsp salt

233g softened butter

30g cream cheese

250g chocolate chips

200g hazelnuts

QUICK INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 190ºC (375ºF). Line a rimmed baking sheet (tray) with parchment paper. The recipe calls for a 45x33cm (18×13-inch) tray. I used a 33x33cm (13×13-inch) one and the result was still fine.

Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) in a big bowl and cut the softened butter in cubes. Adding one by one the butter pieces beat the mixture until crumbly and somewhat wet. Add the cream cheese and beat again. The batter will not be homogeneous, therefore use your hands to knead it until it becomes a mass. Using your hands, or a rolling pin and then your hands, press the dough in the baking sheet. Bake for about 20min, or until the dough is light golden brown.

Remove it from the oven and sprinkle immediately the chocolate chips on top. Leave for some minutes and spread the chocolate with a spatula, evenly. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts on top of the chocolate. Don’t let the chocolate cool before you do that, or the hazelnuts will not stick to it.

Allow to cool completely and cut the diamond-shaped cookies. Remove them and transfer to wire rack if they are still warm.