Best 7 Hazelnut Shortbread Bars Recipes

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Craving a sweet treat that combines nutty flavor, buttery shortbread, and a sprinkle of sweetness? Look no further than hazelnut shortbread bars! These delightful treats offer a perfect balance of flavors and textures, making them an ideal indulgence for any occasion. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting out, this article will guide you through the process of creating delectable hazelnut shortbread bars that will impress your taste buds and leave you wanting more.

Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!

HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD



Hazelnut Shortbread image

We have several acres of hazelnut trees here in the Willamette Valley, where the climate is perfect for this crop. Harvesttime is a big family event with everyone pitching in to help. I try to incorporate this wonderful flavorful nut into our recipes, and this cookie is always a hit. -Karen Morrell, Canby, Oregon

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 30m

Yield 6 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups finely chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup each white, red, green, yellow and dark chocolate candy coating disks

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add syrup and vanilla. Beat in flour just until combined; fold in nuts. Shape into two 1-1/2-in. rolls; wrap tightly in waxed paper. Chill for 2 hours or until firm. , Cut into 1/4-in. slices and place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 14-16 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. , In separate microwave-safe bowls, melt candy coating disks; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Let stand until set.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 170 calories, Fat 11g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 14mg cholesterol, Sodium 75mg sodium, Carbohydrate 16g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 3g protein.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD



Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread image

Provided by Dave Lieberman

Categories     dessert

Time 40m

Yield about 1 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup husked hazelnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Place hazelnuts on baking sheet. Bake until they're a shade darker and fragrant, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
  • Lower oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Place hazelnuts in blender or food processor and pulse to coarse bits; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt to blend; set aside.
  • Beat butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in egg. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Add the chopped hazelnuts and mix until distributed evenly throughout.
  • Form into finger sized logs, about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons dough each, and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on racks.
  • In a saucepan over lowest heat or in a double boiler, melt chocolate. Dip 1 end of cooled cookies into melted chocolate. Place back on cookie sheet to harden.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD SQUARES



Chocolate-Hazelnut Shortbread Squares image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Cookie Recipes

Time 3h25m

Yield Makes about 4 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 tablespoons Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skins removed, and coarsely chopped
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Steps:

  • Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in middle. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan. Line bottom and 2 sides with parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Butter parchment.
  • With a mixer on medium speed, beat butter with brown sugar, vanilla, and salt until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour until combined and a soft dough forms.
  • Spread dough in prepared pan, pressing evenly with the bottom of a dry-measure cup. Prick all over with a fork. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
  • Truffle: In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; whisk in chocolate until melted and combined. Add liqueur and salt, whisking until blended, then stir in nuts. Let cool slightly.
  • Pour chocolate mixture evenly over cooled crust. Refrigerate, uncovered, until cold and set, about 2 hours.
  • Remove shortbread from pan using parchment; place on a cutting board. Dust top completely with cocoa powder. Cut into 48 squares, dipping knife in hot water and wiping clean before each slice. Refrigerate in a single layer until ready to serve, up to 1 week.

HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD BARS



Hazelnut Shortbread Bars image

With their buttery cookie base and caramelized pecan pie-type filling, these bars are nothing short of addictive. (In fact, looking for more excuses to enjoy them, we created the variations below.) Chopping some of the nuts and leaving others whole creates a pretty mosaic effect.

Provided by Stephanie Spencer

Time 1h45m

Number Of Ingredients 8

3 cups raw, skin-on hazelnuts*, divided
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
2 cups flour
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
7 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Roast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet until light golden, about 18 minutes. Rub the warm nuts in a kitchen towel to remove half of skins. Finely chop 1/2 cup nuts in a food processor. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
  • Put chopped nuts, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, the flour, 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Blend on low speed with a mixer until well blended.
  • Grease a 9-in. square baking pan, line with foil (let it hang over edges), then grease foil. Press dough evenly into bottom of pan. Bake until golden and firm, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, very roughly chop half of remaining nuts to make 1 cup.
  • Bring remaining 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 3 tbsp. butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt, the maple syrup, and the brown sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, whisking frequently. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup whole hazelnuts and the chopped nuts (2 cups total; you may have leftover nuts). Pour over crust and spread evenly. Bake until set when pan is tilted, about 18 minutes.
  • Let cool on a rack. Lift foil with cookie to a board. Cut cookie into 16 squares, then cut each square in half diagonally.
  • Extra-Toasty Hazelnut Shortbread Bars: Follow directions for Hazelnut Shortbread Bars. Keep temperature at 350° throughout recipe. In step 3, bake crust until very deep golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour. In step 4, reduce the baking time to about 15 minutes.
  • Chocolaty Hazelnut Shortbread Bars: Follow directions for Hazelnut Shortbread Bars. After spreading nut topping on the crust in step 4, scatter 1 cup (5½ oz.) roughly chopped bittersweet chocolate on top, then bake.
  • Fruity Hazelnut Shortbread Bars: Follow directions for Hazelnut Shortbread Bars. In step 4, stir 1 cup tart or sweet dried cherries or cranberries into nut topping.
  • *Hazelnuts from Oregon--where virtually all the U.S. crop grows--taste much sweeter and fresher than imports. Find them in bulk bins in grocery stores (check the country of origin) and at freddyguys.com, hazelnuthill.com, or yournw.com?
  • Note: Nutritional analysis is per bar.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 203, Carbohydrate 17, Cholesterol 18, Fat 15, Fiber 1.5, Protein 2.8, SaturatedFat 4.9, Sodium 98

HAZELNUT LINZER BARS



Hazelnut Linzer Bars image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories     dessert

Number Of Ingredients 0

Steps:

  • Make Classic Shortbread dough with just 1 cup flour. Add 1 cup ground oats and 3/4 cup finely ground hazelnuts with the flour. Mix one-third of the dough with 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts; freeze tablespoonfuls in clumps for 30 minutes. Press the remaining dough into a buttered 8-inch square pan. Spread with raspberry preserves and top with the frozen clumps. Bake about 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD HEARTS



Hazelnut Shortbread Hearts image

Toasted hazelnuts add a nice crunch and flavor to these rich, buttery hearts. The drizzle of dark and white chocolate gives the cookies an impressive look, but they couldn't be easier to make.-Monique Theoret, Wooster, Ohio

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 50m

Yield 7-1/2 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 7

1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup ground toasted hazelnuts
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 ounces white baking chocolate, melted

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour and hazelnuts; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle., On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake at 325° for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Drizzle bittersweet and white chocolate over cookies; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 63 calories, Fat 4g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 8mg cholesterol, Sodium 22mg sodium, Carbohydrate 6g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 1g protein.

HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD BALLS



Hazelnut Shortbread Balls image

Stack them high! Place a mound of these Hazelnut Shortbread Balls in your favorite serving dish, place them at the center of your table, and watch them disappear as your guests delightfully enjoy.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Cookie Recipes

Yield Makes about 3 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 6

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup confectioners’ or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (or pecans)

Steps:

  • Butter an 8 1/2-inch cake or springform pan; set aside. Sift together flour and salt into a small bowl; set aside. Place butter in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Cream until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until very light in color and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, about 2 minutes more. Add vanilla, if using. Add flour mixture, and combine on low speed, scraping with spatula if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
  • Pat dough into prepared pan. If rolling out dough to cut into shapes, form into a flat disk; wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
  • Add 1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (or pecans) to creamed butter-and-sugar mixture. Roll dough into 1-inch balls with your hands; chill.
  • Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until firm and just starting to color, 20 to 25 minutes.

Tips:

  • Mise en Place: Before you start baking, make sure you have all of your ingredients and equipment ready to go. This will help you stay organized and avoid any mishaps.
  • Use Cold Butter: Cold butter is essential for making shortbread. It helps to create a flaky texture. If you use warm butter, the dough will be too soft and the cookies will spread too much in the oven.
  • Don't Overmix the Dough: Overmixing the dough will make the cookies tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
  • Chill the Dough: Chilling the dough before baking helps to develop the flavor and prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
  • Bake the Cookies Until Golden Brown: The cookies are done baking when they are golden brown around the edges. If you bake them for too long, they will be dry and crumbly.

Conclusion:

Hazelnut shortbread bars are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that are perfect for any occasion. They are made with a simple dough that is flavored with hazelnuts and baked until golden brown. The cookies are then topped with a rich chocolate ganache. These bars are sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

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