Description
Delight in these buttery, gluten-free hazelnut shortbread cookies sandwiched with silky, rich milk chocolate ganache. The toasted hazelnuts add a wonderful nutty crunch while the smooth ganache brings the perfect indulgent finish. A sophisticated treat that’s gluten-free and utterly irresistible! #glutenfreecookies #hazelnutshortbread #chocolateganache #holidaybaking
Ingredients
Scale
For the Gluten-Free Hazelnut Shortbread:
- 90 g (⅔ cup) hazelnuts
- 120 g (1 stick + ½ tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 75 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) light brown soft sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 210 g (1¾ cups) plain gluten-free flour blend (e.g., Doves Farm Freee; or blend of 50% white rice flour, 30% potato starch, 20% maize flour by weight)
- ¾ tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend includes it)
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Milk Chocolate Ganache:
- 150 g (5.3 oz) milk chocolate, chopped
- 100 g (⅓ cup + 1½ tbsp) double/heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Toast hazelnuts on a baking tray for 10–12 minutes until fragrant. Cool, then rub skins off using a clean kitchen towel. Finely grind hazelnuts in a food processor.
- In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.
- Add ground hazelnuts, gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (if using), and salt. Mix to form a soft dough.
- Roll dough between parchment sheets to about 5mm thickness. Chill for 30 minutes, then cut into rounds.
- Place rounds on a lined baking tray and bake at 160°C (320°F) for 10–12 minutes, or until edges are just golden. Cool completely.
- For ganache, gently heat cream until steaming. Pour over chopped chocolate, let sit 2–3 minutes, then stir until smooth. Cool until spreadable.
- Sandwich cooled cookies with ganache. Let set before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to chill the dough well for clean, neat cookie shapes.
- Removing hazelnut skins adds smoothness and prevents bitterness.
- Use good quality milk chocolate for the ganache for the best flavor.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 55mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg