Baci di Dama
As a kid, I was obsessed with sandwich-type cookies (fave: Oreos!). So when I found out about Baci di Dama years ago, it felt like I met my adult version of Oreos.
Baci di Dama translates to ‘ladies kisses’ in Italian. It’s a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread style cookie that boasts of the gorgeous flavour of hazelnuts.
Don’t let its look fool you. This is a recipe that’s easy enough for me to make at home and you can have endless fun with the fillings too!
THE RECIPE
MAKES 10 COOKIES
Ingredients
Cookies
55g almond flour
45g hazelnut flour (if you can’t find this, you may use Almond flour in place of it)
100g all-purpose flour sifted (preferably 00 flour)
100g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
35g granulated sugar
A pinch of salt
Filling
50g bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chopped and melted
2 tbsp almond or hazelnut butter
Alternatives: Nutella, white chocolate, or any of your favourite spreads
Directions
Transfer the nut flour(s), all-purpose flour, cold butter, and sugar into a bowl.
Mix all the ingredients together until the butter is evenly dispersed, and the dough is smooth. The dough should be very smooth and hold together. If not, knead it until it does, and add some cold water if it doesn’t come together.
Use a mini ice cream scoop and portion the dough into small chunks (mine were about ~8g each) and roll them between the palms of your hands to form a ball. If you don’t have a mini ice scream scoop, use a tea spoon instead.
Place the balls on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, slightly spaced apart, with ~4cm gap in between.
You’ll need one side of the cookie to be flat (to spread the chocolate later), so flatten the side of the cookie that is in contact with the baking tray by gently pressing it down.
Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour. This helps them keep their shape while baking.
Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes at 180˚C, until they are set to the touch and lightly golden. Rotate the baking tray halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool completely before filling.
In a clean, dry, heat-proof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate until smooth. Let it cool for a few minutes until it thickens slightly. You can stop here, or mix in 1-2 tbsp of almond or hazelnut butter.
Put a small dollop of filling on one cookie and place another cookie on top to sandwich the filling.
Once assembled, put the Baci di Dama on a cooling wire rack until the chocolate is firm.
Nutrition
Per Serving:
Calories: 488kcal
Carbohydrates: 30g
Protein: 8.7g
Fat: 36g
Sugar: 13g
Sodium: 75.69g
Fibre: 3.8g
Take note that the fat content for this recipe is on the higher side. So as with all things, remember to eat in moderation.