1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts, lightly roasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup butter, melted (and then cooled)
1/3 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 cup flour

For coating (baked) cookies
about 1/4 cup icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.



Using an electric mixer, cream the melted (then cooled) butter with the icing sugar.

Add the honey and mix well.

Add the flour and mix well.

Add the nuts and mix well.

Remove the bowl from the electric stand.

Form the cookie dough into a ball.

Flour the palms of your hands and then take a bit of dough and form 1-inch balls with the dough (Do NOT flatten them).

Place the balls, one inch apart, on the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees F. until firm -- about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from oven.

Cool for about 5 minutes and then roll in icing sugar.

The recipe in this entry was adapted from "La Tavola Italiana" by Tom Maresca and Diane Darrow (New York: W. Morrow, 1988). The cookbook can be borrowed for free from the on-line public librar: www.openlibrary.org.... I tried this traditional recipe from central Italy and found the results disappointing. While the recipe is relatively easy to do, the cookies have a hard texture, and are not all that flavorful, but then I don't like honey, which this recipe uses in abundance, so my opinion is biased. Personal comments and photo: Mary Melfi.

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