Surprise!I know you were expecting Hazelnut Crescents, but that was before I lost my no. 5 icing tip and decided that buttons looked cuter anyway.
These cookies have only three ingredients: ground hazelnuts, egg whites, and sugar. First, whisk an egg white with some sugar, then add the ground hazelnuts. Second, beat a few more egg whites with a little more sugar, and fold them into the hazelnut mixture.
Voilà! Pipe the dough onto a cookie sheet (crescents, buttons, whatever - they won't lose their shape in the oven!) and bake for 20 minutes.
These are meant to be sandwiched together with apricot jam or chocolate cream, but mine looked nice decorated with melted chocolate and the occasional chocolate-dipped hazelnut. Not surprisingly, they are crisp, sweet, and nutty-tasting.
By the way, they smell amazing after 20 minutes in the oven - like a whole pan full of Purdy's Hedgehogs or Nutella!
It has been suggested (and I wholeheartedly agree) that this dough would make a perfect crust for a chocolate-apricot tart. I think I would paint the hazelnut shell with chocolate, then spread a layer of apricot jam on top and finish it off with a sprinkle of ground hazelnuts.
Speaking of Hazelnuts...
According to Wikipedia - AND the B.C. government, so there you have it! - Turkey produces most of the world's hazelnuts, but they're also grown as close to home as the Fraser Valley.Hazelnuts have a 60.5% fat content (!), and were cultivated in Britain as early as 7000 B.C. What a sad world it must have been without Nutella, Frangelico, Ferrero Rocher, Hedgehogs, and yes - even Hazelnut Buttons...
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