Instant espresso powder gives these drop cookies grown-up appeal. If you’d rather not remove the hazelnut skins yourself, as described below, look for blanched nuts at specialty shops, then toast them (see page 365).
Recipe information
Yield
makes 36
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°F, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in espresso powder.
Step 3
Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until incorporated. With a wooden spoon, stir in hazelnuts.
Step 4
Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 1 1/2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until golden, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored up to 3 days in airtight containers.
Removing Hazelnut Skins
Step 5
Preheat oven to 250°F. Place raw (shelled) hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until skins crack, about 20 minutes. Immediately transfer nuts to a clean kitchen towel and roll up. Let steam 5 minutes. Rub the nuts with the towel until most skins have come off (it’s okay if some remain).
