Baking Cookies While Trying Not To Eat All the Dough
Alright, imagine this: it's a chilly December, the sort where your breath fogs up the window and your toes never quite get warm (unless you're lucky enough to have heated floors—I'm not). Anyway, years back, I made a batch of Christmas Hazelnut Sea Salt Cookies as a panic bake for my aunt's holiday potluck. I was honestly more concerned about burning the bottoms (again) than impressing anyone, but it turned into one of those surprise hits—the plate came back so clean my cousin used it for leftover turkey. True story! And now, they're basically tradition. Oh, and if you have curious cats, keep the cooled cookies covered; I learned that one the crumbly way.
Why You'll Love Making These Shiny Little Beauties
I throw these together whenever I want something that tastes impressive but isn't actually high drama in the kitchen (praise be). My family hoovers these up at Christmas, and honestly, if I try another cookie—like those neon sugar jobs—someone inevitably asks, "Um, where are the hazelnut ones?" If you're a dunker, they're spot-on for coffee or strong tea. Funny thing: one year, I swapped in almond extract by mistake (I got distracted by a squirrel outside, for real) and everyone still ate them, so they're forgiving recipes. The only thing I can't seem to get right is not eating half the dough, so...deal with it, I guess.
Grab These Ingredients (Substitutions Welcome!)
- 1 cup (about 150g) roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped (or just bash them up in a tea towel, my Nan's trick; almonds in a pinch, though it isn't quite the same)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened—though, I've used salted before and just left the sea salt topping off
- ⅔ cup brown sugar (light or dark works, I've used both, but I prefer it a bit darker for a more wintery vibe)
- 1 large egg (I've done it with the smaller ones from the shop down the road—not crucial, just use what you've got)
- 1 ¼ cups plain flour (yes, plain—not self-raising, unless you want cookies that look like scones...)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (I've swapped for hazelnut extract once, but it's OTT)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- A good pinch of flaky sea salt for sprinkling (Maldon is fancy but supermarket stuff works)
Let's Get These Cookies Going
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Get your baking tray lined with parchment (if you can't find it, some greased foil will do, but...parchment doesn't stick).
- Cream the butter with the brown sugar till it's fluffy and kind of latte coloured—takes around three minutes by hand, way faster if you’ve got a mixer. This is the part where I sneak a decent spoonful.
- Plonk in your egg and vanilla extract. Beat again, though don't stress if it looks a bit curdled at this stage. It always does.
- Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl; then dump 'em in with the wet stuff, and stir till just combined. (Don't go wild—overmixed cookies are tough. Ask me how I know.)
- Fold in your chopped hazelnuts. Tastes amazing raw, actually—just saying.
- Scoop out generous tablespoons onto your tray; I use a heaping dessert spoon. Squash 'em just a touch with your hand or the back of a glass. Sprinkle each with a little sea salt. If it looks like too much, it's fine, they'll soak it up, promise.
- Bake for about 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges look golden and a bit crisp, but the centres seem a tad soft. The first time, I pulled them at 14 minutes and regretted it—the effect was more 'hockey puck' than 'cookie'.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for a good 10 minutes; they firm up as they cool. If you try to move them early, I wish you luck. On second thought, maybe just let them be.
Random Notes from Someone Who's Made These Too Many Times
- I once tried using pre-chopped hazelnuts from a tiny bag (some big-box shop), but honestly, they tasted kind of stale. Freshly toasted nuts are best, but if time's tight, I forgive myself for buying pre-roasted ones sometimes.
- Watch out for sneaky bits of shell—you think you got them all until you bite in and, well, you didn't.
- If it's humid out, the cookies don't crisp up as well the first day, but they somehow taste even nuttier by day two. I say just pop them in a not-too-hot oven for a couple mins if you want crunch.
Cookie Variations—Adventures, or Misadventures
- I've swapped the hazelnuts for pecans (worked, but lost the Christmas "thing").
- Once I tried rolling half the dough in cocoa powder before baking—looked like sad chocolate craters. Not recommended, but hey, live and learn.
- If you want these gluten-free, my cousin found this blend by King Arthur works surprisingly well, though maybe go easy on the butter by a smidge.
Gadgets and Gear (Plus, What to Do If You Haven't Got 'Em)
Nothing wild needed here—a baking sheet, some parchment, a good mixing bowl, spoon, and (if you're posh) an electric mixer. On the odd occasion mine's on the fritz, good ol' elbow grease works. No cookie scoop? Me neither. Two spoons, job done.
How Do You Store 'Em? (Not That They'll Last)
In theory: airtight container, room temp, up to 4 days. But honestly, in my house, they vanish within the first 24 hours, and people ask if I made a "double batch" (as if I didn't want some for myself the next day). If you hide a couple, they do stay freshish for lunchboxes or desk snacks, but they'll soften up a bit unless you stick a piece of bread in the container (stolen from my mum's lunch hack).
Serving Ideas (If They Make It To the Table)
I usually pile them onto whatever festive plate is cleanest, but my brother crumbles them into vanilla ice cream. For me, nothing beats a mug of coffee (though last year, Dad dipped one in glögg—local Christmas drink—and declared it "better than any mince pie"). Honestly, just have 'em warm—makes all the difference.
Things I Really Wish I'd Known—Pro Tips
- Don't rush the cooling! I once flung a tray to the wire rack early and most of them broke—just leave them alone, okay?
- If you're overzealous with the sea salt, it gets a tad much by cookie number three, so sprinkle light at first—you can always add more later.
- Actually, one batch I made with cold butter barely mixed at all—let it get nice and soft or you'll be there for ages.
Real-Life Q&A (Because Friends Always Ask)
Q: Can I make the dough ahead?
Yup, stick it in the fridge for up to 2 days, just let it warm a smidge before scooping. (And sneak tastes, you will.)
Q: Any way to make them vegan?
Actually, yes! Swap in vegan butter and a flax egg (look up this guide—I love Minimalist Baker's tips). The result isn't exactly like the dairy version, but still pretty darn good.
Q: My cookies are spreading too much (or not enough). What's up?
Probably a bit too much (or too little) flour. Weather, flour brand, the whole shebang can change things. If they're puddling, maybe chill the dough a bit first. If they're staying golf balls, flatten them more or decrease flour slightly. Honestly, bake off just one cookie as a test—then you can fix the batch!
Q: Can you double this recipe?
Oh, for sure. I usually do at Christmas because the first batch is basically gone to 'taste testers' (ha). Oven times might be a minute or two longer if you cram in extra trays.
Q: What's with the sea salt? Can't I skip it?
Sure you can, but you'll miss that pop against the sweet. But, sometimes I'm out and the cookies are still tasty—just a bit more one-note.
I'm sure I've forgotten something, but that'll do for now. If you want more cozy Christmas bakes (or, honestly, just good food chat), check out Smitten Kitchen—her writing always cheers me up even when I stuff up the recipe. Happy baking, from my slightly-sticky kitchen to yours!
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
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1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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2In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
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3Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
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4In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Gradually add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
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5Fold in the chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chunks.
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6Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
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7Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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