Baci di Dama Cookies... Italy

Baci Di dama are a type of Northern Italian sandwich cookie. "Baci di dama" means "Lady's kisses" in English. Baci di dama are a sandwich cookie, consisting of two hazelnut cookies joined together by chocolate, representing the "kiss" in the name. Considered a standard of Italian confectionary, these are a common item at Italian bakeries throughout Italy and in Italian diaspora communities.

These cookies are deliciously nutty.

Though traditionally made with hazelnut cookies, there are currently many modern flavor variations. The one in this recipe is made with almond nuts. You can usually find a pack of 100g almond nuts in the market (where they sell baking stuff) for N850.

Baci di Dama (LADY'S KISSES) Italian Cookie

Serves: 35 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 100 g almond nuts, chopped

• 70 g sugar

• 110 g all-purpose flour

• 20 g corn flour

• a small pinch of salt

• 100 g butter/ margarine

• 70 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

NSTRUCTIONS

1. Toast the nuts in the oven at 180°C until lightly coloured. You can also do this in a frying pan, stir it consistently as to not let it burn. Remove from the oven and rub them gently with a dish towel to remove their skin. Let them cool off completely.

2. Using a food processor/nut grinder (the dry grinder of your blender set), grind the toasted nuts with the sugar until you obtain a sand-like consistency. You can also use your molter and pestle if you don't have any of the above.

3. Pour your ground mixture into a bowl and add the flour, corn starch, and salt to it. Add the softened butter and work quickly with your fingertips to form the dough. Once the dough is smooth and uniform, refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

4. Prepare two baking tray lined with parchment paper (by buttering the tray and placing the paper cut out to the size of the tray) or a Silpat mat. If you don’t have these, you can line the tray with brown paper that tailors use or just butter and flour the tray. But note that these options tend to burn the cookies so be watchful.

5. Roll the dough into ¾ inch (2 cm) logs and cut them into small pieces that weigh about 5 or 6 grams each (about the size of a coin). Roll all pieces into small balls and placed them on the baking tray. Ensure they are spaced well as they will get a little bigger while baking.

6. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes (this will ensure the cookies will keep their dome shape).

7. Turn oven to 160°C. Bake one tray at the time for about 15-20 minutes. The cookie should be lightly coloured on the bottom. Remove from the oven and place the baking tray on a cooling rack. DO NOT TOUCH cookies until they have cooled off otherwise they'll break. Once they've reached room temperature, taste-test one to ensure it's cooked through. If not, return to the oven for one or two more minutes.

8. Melt the chocolate on a double boiler. (if you don’t have one, get a metal bowl that can seat nicely in a pot without touching the bottom of the pot. Put the chocolate in the bowl and little water in the pot, be sure that the bowl isn’t touching the water, you need the steam from the water not the water itself. Get the water to a simmer and let its steam melt the chocolate). Once it's almost entirely melted, remove from the heat and let it rest for 5mins. Mix with a spatula or a flat spoon to ensure it's all melted and let it cool off a bit until it becomes thicker and forms ribbons. Pair each cookie with another one of the same shape/size. With a teaspoon, drop a bit of chocolate on one half. The chocolate should be cool enough to not fall from one cookie, if you turn it 90 degrees. Assemble Baci di Dama by placing the other half cookie on top. Twist the top part to make the chocolate spread evenly. Your Baci di Dama are ready!

9. Take pictures and post on the Advent Calendar group, Instagram, don’t forget to tag us and enjoy!!!