Coffee Hazelnut Shortbread is packed with butter, a hint of coffee, and a toasty hazelnut crunch. Honestly, what could be cozier?
If there were ever a warm and cozy cookie, this is it! Coffee Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies are infused with the aromatic flavors of roasted coffee and crunchy hazelnuts. With hazelnuts at their peak in fall, these cookies are made for the cooler months (and your holiday cookie platter).
Shortbread is simple, timeless, and elemental. Just flour, sugar, and butter expertly combined in a formula that’s been around for centuries. Unlike the cookie dough you’re used to, there’s no egg, no baking powder or soda ~ and that’s exactly what makes it so special.
coffee hazelnut shortbread ingredient notes
- butter
- I use salted butter, but if yours is not, just add 1/2 teaspoon to the dough. The salt brings out the nutty flavor.
- sugar
- I sometimes make shortbread with brown sugar, and sometimes even with powdered sugar, but here I’m using regular white sugar.
- AP flour
- hazelnuts
- I buy whole raw hazelnuts and toast them first: spread on a plate and microwave for 2 minutes. Toasted nuts are fabulous in shortbread, try my Butter Pecan Shortbread and my Maple Walnut Shortbread Cookies.
- instant espresso
- This is powdered instant coffee, not coffee grounds. I use Medaglia D’oro because that’s what my store stocks but there are other brands, here.
- vanilla and almond extract
- milk chocolate
- Use chopped bar chocolate or chips melted down for a dip or drizzle.
give your coffee hazelnut shortbread a dip
In milk chocolate, of course! If you’re a purist you can leave these cookies plain, they’ll be toasty and delicious. But I can’t resist ~ a thick chocolate dip takes them over the top.
Normally I’m a dark chocolate kind of girl, but I think milk chocolate goes especially well with the coffee hazelnut combo and makes this shortbread holiday worthy.
cut out or slice and bake shortbread?
This easy shortbread recipe can be rolled out on a lightly floured surface and cut with your favorite cookie cutter, or it can be formed into a log for slicing and baking. The log can also be chilled or frozen for later use. Pretty handy!
FOR CUT OUT COFFEE HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES: roll the dough out to 1/3 inch and cut with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter.
FOR SLICE AND BAKE COFFEE HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES: form the dough into a 10-12 inch log and slice into cookies.
- You can keep the log in the freezer to pull out when you need it.
Dessert and after dinner coffee in one!
Set out a plate of these cookies after a dinner party, with or without coffee.
Coffee hazelnut shortbread cookies would be a great hostess gift because many people who don’t drink coffee still love the taste.
This is a sophisticated ‘adult’ choice for your cookie loving friends during the holidays.
Coffee Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature, if you use unsalted butter add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the dough.
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 cup AP flour
- 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts*, rough chopped
chocolate dip
- 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1 Tbsp butter or vegetable oil
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor (you can also use a hand mixer, or your hands) blend together the butter, sugar, and espresso powder. Mix well and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Beat in the extracts and then slowly add the flour and hazelnuts with the mixer on low. When the soft dough comes together scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl well to get all the butter well incorporated.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a disk. Roll out the dough to about 1/3 inch thick and cut out your cookies with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter. Reform the dough as necessary.
- Chill the cookies in the refrigerator while you preheat your oven to 350F.
- When the oven has come up to full temperature bake the cookies, in batches, for about 14 minutes. Note: ovens vary so I like to do a test cookie or two to check. You may need more or less time.
- Cool on the pan briefly before finishing on a rack.
- When the cookies are completely cool, melt the chocolate and butter or oil for about a minute in the microwave and the stir until completely smooth. If necessary heat in another 15 second burst to completely melt. Drizzle the surface or dunk your shortbread and place on parchment paper to harden. You can also simply dust them with powdered sugar if you don't want to use the chocolate.
- Cookies will last up to a week at room temperature, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
we love everything chocolate hazelnut!
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Louise—thank you so much for my award— I’m so excited, it’s my first.
I love the Family Cookbook site, I’ll try the Swedish cookies, thanks.
Claudia—me too! I’m cookied out, but for some reason it just seems the thing to do this week. And I have to feed my daughters when they are home next week, so that’s my excuse.
Susan—have you posted that recipe? I’m going to check your blog for it. One whole side of my family is largely German, but no one handed down any cookie recipes!
Marina—that’s quite a compliment coming from you! I really like the color from the espresso, it’s an nice rich unusual brown.
linda—thanks for visiting, and good luck with the cookies, let me know how they turn out.
Mellissa—I could have microwaved the chocolate right in a squeeze bottle or baggie with the tip snipped off, I’m going to try that next time, but dunking does give an extra dose of chocolate, which is always good!
Kitchen Belleicious—thanks! I hope they don’t contain too much caffeine because if I have even a few sips of coffee after noon, I’m up at night (getting old);)
I can’t decide if I want to try the chocolate batch or this batch first! I love the idea of espresso in cookies. I used to make a ricotta with espresso parfait topped with amaretti cookies. It was so easy and I brought it a few times to friends houses. You can never go wrong with coffee and espresso in desserts!
Ooh, I love the dipped chocolate garnish!
I have to make these. I didn’t really need to add to my cookie making but I have to make these.