Florentine Wedding Cakes

Prep and Cook Time: about 1 1/4 hours. Notes: To toast the hazelnuts, place whole nuts in an 8- or 9-inch-wide pan and bake in a 350° oven, shaking pan occasionally, until golden brown under skins, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour nuts onto a clean kitchen towel and rub to remove loose skins; lift nuts from towel, leaving skins behind. You can store the cookies airtight for up to 3 days.

Yield: Makes about 120 cookies

Ingredients

• 1  cup  (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
• 1 2/3  cups  powdered sugar
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla
• 1/4  teaspoon  almond extract
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 3/4  cup  minced toasted hazelnuts (see notes)
• 2  tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation

1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, or in a food processor, beat or whirl butter, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and the vanilla, almond extract, and flour until smooth and well blended. Stir in hazelnuts.

2. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls and place about 1 inch apart on buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

3. Bake in a 300° oven until cookies are pale golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes.

4. Place remaining 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Gently turn warm cookies in sugar, a few at a time, then set on racks to cool. When cool, coat cookies again with sugar. Arrange in a single layer and dust evenly with cocoa powder.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per cookie.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

33 (55% from fat)

Protein:

0.3g

Fat:

2g (sat 1)

Carbohydrate:

3.5g

Fiber:

0.1g

Sodium:

16mg

Cholesterol:

4.1mg