Baci di dama: the kissing biscuits
Italian hazelnut biscuits filled with melting chocolate
Italian hazelnut biscuits filled with melting chocolate
These biscuits maybe have the cutest name of all Italian cookies: ‘baci di dama’ literally means ‘ladies’ kisses’. The name refers to the two biscuits glued together giving each other a ‘kiss’. When I see two biscuits at once, I mostly think of double the fun 😉
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
2. Spread the hazelnuts over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast them in the oven for 8 minutes until golden brown.
3. Put the hazelnuts in a food processor, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and blitz to a powder. Now add the remaining sugar, the butter and the salt and mix until creamy. Spoon the mixture into a bowl, add the flour and knead it in thoroughly.
4. Roll the dough into cherry-sized balls and place them on the baking sheet. Make sure to leave about 2 centimetres of space between them; the biscuits will spread and if they’re too close they’ll stick together. Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes and then let them cool.
5. Meanwhile we’ll melt the chocolate: bring a small amount of water to a simmer in a small saucepan and set a bowl on top. Melt the chocolate au bain-marie. Take a cooled biscuit, dip it into the melted chocolate and press another biscuit against it so they stick together. Do this for all the biscuits. Left with one? Dip it in chocolate and enjoy it right away 😉
Recipe
Baci di dama are small Italian biscuits made from hazelnuts and butter, held together by a layer of melted chocolate. The perfect sweet treat with your coffee or tea.
| Course | Snack |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | Italian |
| Servings | 15-20 |
| Preparation time | 12 min |
|---|---|
| Time in oven | 23 min |
| Total | 12 min |
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
2. Spread the hazelnuts over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast them in the oven for 8 minutes until golden brown.
3. Put the hazelnuts in a food processor, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and blitz to a powder. Now add the remaining sugar, the butter and the salt and mix until creamy. Spoon the mixture into a bowl, add the flour and knead it in thoroughly.
4. Roll the dough into cherry-sized balls and place them on the baking sheet. Make sure to leave about 2 centimetres of space between them; the biscuits will spread and if they’re too close they’ll stick together. Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes and then let them cool.
5. Meanwhile we’ll melt the chocolate: bring a small amount of water to a simmer in a small saucepan and set a bowl on top. Melt the chocolate au bain-marie. Take a cooled biscuit, dip it into the melted chocolate and press another biscuit against it so they stick together. Do this for all the biscuits. Left with one? Dip it in chocolate and enjoy it right away 😉
These biscuits are best on the day you make them, but stored in an airtight tin they will stay fresh for at least three days. Make sure the chocolate is completely set before stacking them, otherwise they’ll stick together.
Vary the recipe by swapping the hazelnuts for almonds, or use dark chocolate for a slightly more bitter note. Baci di dama also make a lovely gift: put them in a pretty box and surprise someone with this homemade Italian classic.
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