If you are not the most patient baker in the world, these Chocolate Hazelnut Madeline Cookies are so much fun to make. Not only because of their cute, shell-like shape that always turn out perfectly, but because you get to experiment with nuts and chocolate. Choose any type of nuts you like when you make these – the nutty flavor comes through very delicately and you still have that classic Madeline cookie texture that we all love.

People are under the misconception that this type of cookie looks so fancy, that it would be difficult to bake. Quite the opposite - they are as easy as making, well - cookies! And, of course, besides looking really elegant enough for high tea, they are a really nice accompaniment to coffee or a cold glass of milk as well.



Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, melted + 1 tbsp.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup hazelnuts, coarsely ground
1/2 cup chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
3 oz. baking chocolate
1 tbsp. finely ground hazelnuts

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Brush the Madeline molds with the melted butter and then dust with a little flour, shaking off any excess. Doing this over the kitchen sink saves a lot of mess on the counter. Set these aside until needed.

2. Using a paddle attachment in an electric mixer, beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until they are light and thick. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often. Add the melted butter and blend in for 10 seconds - then add the vanilla, nuts and chocolate chips and blend for 30 seconds.

3. Place approximately 2 flat tablespoonfuls of the batter into each mold - the batter will spread out all on its own when it's baking. Bake for 15 -16 minutes and do the clean toothpick test. Immediately tap the madelines out onto a clean towel and let them cool on a rack.

4. In the meantime, melt the baking chocolate in the microwave or using a bain marie. Dip the tips of the Madeline cookies into the chocolate and set them on greaseproof paper or aluminum foil on a small pan. Sprinkle the chocolate with the finely ground hazelnuts and refrigerate to harden.

Madeline pans can usually be found anywhere they sell bakeware. If you can’t find them in your area, try shopping online and search for them.

Bellemain 12-Cup Nonstick Madeleine Pan