Cream Filberts (Hazelnut-stuffed Butter Vanilla Cookies)

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In a delicious twist on art imitating life, this recipe yields over 6 dozen small cookies, each appearing just slightly larger than a real hazelnut (or filbert nut) in its shell. Despite the title, there is no cream or pastry cream in the recipe. Yet, magically, they taste creamy.

Cream filberts were a Christmas cookie favorite of mine growing up. However, the original recipe makes no mention of Christmas and doesn’t use classic red or green sparkling sugar for decoration. To me this is a year-round cookie. (I rediscovered the original recipe in the heirloom “orange cookbook” that my mom recently gave me. The origin story of the cookbook is in my Honey Bun Bar post, if you’re interested).

The original recipe called for vegetable shortening, which I’ve replaced with butter. I’ve also made the process steps clearer, as some of the original instructions were head scratching.

Arliano Update (Aggiornamento Arliano):

It has been a very wet spring in Lucca, but it has sprung, nevertheless. All three of our peach trees are filled with blossoms. If there’s no frost we’ll have lots of white, yellow and red peaches. Our yard also has a bounty of tulip magnolia blossoms and daffodils on show. Throughout early- to late-spring, the air in Lucca is sweetly perfumed. It’s a great time to visit — if you don’t mind taking a chance on getting wet!

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Cream Filberts (Hazelnut-stuffed Butter Vanilla Cookies)

  • Servings: About 6 dozen
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (227 grams)
  • 3/4 cup regular white sugar (150 grams)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 + 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour (312 grams). Sift, then measure
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  • Pinch of kosher or fine sea salt
  • 72 shelled and deskinned hazelnuts (also known as filbert nuts)
  • 2 cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar (240 grams), sifted (measure, then sift)
  • Caster, granulated cane, or sugar-in-the-raw sugar (choose one of these three) as needed for dipping baked cookies (about 1/2 cup)

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F (190 C)
  2. Cream together the butter and regular white sugar. Add the egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat until the egg is fully incorporated
  3. Sift together all the dry ingredients EXCEPT for the powdered sugar and the caster / granulated cane / sugar-in-the-raw sugar
  4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter, regular white sugar, and egg just until mixed. Do not overmix or the cookies may be tough
  5. Using a flour-dipped measuring teaspoon, measure out 1 level teaspoon of dough for each cookie (TIP: Dip the spoon in a small glass of flour, then measure 1 level teaspoon of dough. This will seem like very little dough, but trust the recipe — it is enough. The dough should come out of the spoon easily since you’ve dipped it in flour. Repeat for each cookie).
  6. Press a hazelnut into each ball and close the dough around the nut so it is fully enclosed. Roll each ball in your hands until it is smooth. If you have friends or family around, put them to work!
  7. Place the balls 2-inches (4 cm) apart on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet and bake 12 minutes, or until barely lightly browned around the bottom edges of the cookies. Remove from the oven and let cool
  8. Make the glaze for the cookies stirring together the sifted powdered sugar, the remaining vanilla and 3 tablespoons water (Start with 3 tablespoons. If it is still too thick, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you reach a consistency that leaves a ribbon pattern in the bowl from the spoon (see photo))
  9. Dip each cookie into the glaze (top part only), then dip the glazed cookie into caster, granulated cane, or sugar-in-the-raw for a sparkling, crunchy top. Also at this step, if you have friends or family around, put them to work! Let the glaze set, then place the cookies into an airtight container. These also freeze very well.
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Author: gregnelsoncooks

Visit weekly for original and adapted recipes as well as cooking tips to make your kitchen life easier — and more delicious! I’ll include simple, straight forward instructions along with recipes that are truly worth your time making. And, recipes that elevate the familiar and introduce you to the new and unexpected.

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