Nutella Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread made with toasted hazelnuts and a decadent Nutella filling. These festive Nutella shortbread sandwich cookies are a dream for any chocolate hazelnut lover!
Servings: 12 cookies
Calories: 454kcal
Equipment
- Sheet pan use 2
- Cookie cutters
Ingredients
- ½ cup hazelnuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, equiv to 2 standard sticks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 13 ounces Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mat. Set aside.
- Toast and pulse the hazelnuts: Warm them in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Then, transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Set aside.
- Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the the pulsed hazelnuts, all-purpose flour and and salt. Set aside.
- Make dough: In a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes, then mix in the vanilla extract. Next, add the prepared dry ingredients and continue mixing over medium speed just until incorporated, don’t overmix. The dough will be moist a a bit sticky.
- Chill dough: Transfer the dough onto plastic wrap. With another sheet of plastic wrap on top, roll it into a ½-inch-thick disk. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days ahead.
- Roll out dough: Dust some flour on your working surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the chilled dough to ¼-inch thickness. If the dough breaks, just press it back together - it’s a very forgiving dough. Cut out cookies using your preferred cutter (a 2½-inch fluted round cutter works well). Carefully arrange on the lined baking sheets, making sure they are spaced out since they will expand a little.
- Chill again: Cover with parchment paper and let the cut out dough chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will help them maintain their shape.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until set and slightly golden brown around the edges. They may look a bit pale on top, that’s fine. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before assembling. Tip: If you want them a little crunchier, bake for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Assemble: Pipe Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread onto half the cookies and sandwich with the remaining cookies. Dust them with confectioners’ sugar and enjoy!
Notes
- Hazelnuts: If you can’t find hazelnuts, you can use almonds.
- Chilling matters: Chill the dough before rolling and again after cutting. This prevents spreading and keeps the shape of the edges.
- This is a forgiving dough. If it breaks or cracks, press the dough back together and continue rolling.
- Use parchment paper or a silpat mat to break to prevent sticking.
- How to tell if the shortbread cookies are done: The edges should be slightly browned and the tops will be a bit pale for a soft, buttery texture. If you want them crunchier, bake for an extra 1-2 minutes.
- Dough: Can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Baked cookies: Unfilled cookies can be baked up to 3 days ahead and stored airtight at room temperature.
- Store cookies in airtight cookie containers for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze assembled cookies for up to 2 months with parchment between layers. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg