Hazelnut Kisses

As Christmas is quickly coming closer, baking climbs up and up on the to-do-list. I personally get my baking done on one weekend, but that's more to get it done because I'm working full-time and normally am too tired to bake in the evening. My grandmother on the other hand told me she'd bake one type of cookies a day. She is 89 years old, but still wants to please all of her grandchildren, so baking Christmas cookies is a must for her.

The recipe I am introducing you to today is my dad's personal favourite and a very traditional German Christmas cookie recipe. My mum wouldn't bake these for a few years so I didn't have them on my list when I took over the Christmas baking, but my dad asked for them two years ago and ever since I've been making them. They're nice and easy and still full of flavor. It's definitely a nice change from the rolling and cutting. 

Here's the recipe:
200g (a little under 2 cups) ground hazelnuts
2 eggwhites
210g (1 cup) granulated white sugar
edible paper rounds / communion wafers (Backoblate)
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, for decorating

1) Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Place the whole hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast them for 8 minutes.

2) Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold in the ground hazelnuts and sugar.

3) Put tablespoonfuls of the dough on the paper rounds so they form small domes. In Germany, you can get small rounds of edible paper that are especially for baking. Press one whole hazelnuts on top of each dome.

4) Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 15-20 minutes. They should still feel a little soft to touch when you take them out of the oven.

Yield: about 30 cookies
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 40 minutes

Here's how they look:

I like the way these bring a bright and nutty flavor and I love how easy they are to make. I also love how the whole hazelnuts make these look a little like a crown. 

Have fun trying!!