Baci di dama (Hazelnut cookies)

To prepare baci di dama (Hazelnut cookies), start with the shortbread dough. Pour the soft but still firm cubed butter and sugar 1 into the bowl of a stand mixer with a flat beater. Mix a few seconds at low speed until the dough is well combined. Add the almond flour 2 and turn on the mixer again. Pour the egg whites into a bowl, add the salt 3 and dissolve it.

Pour everything into the batter 4. As soon as it's well mixed, turn off the machine and add the already sifted flour 5. Continue to mix at low speed, clearing the edges of the mixer bowl with a spatula every few seconds. As soon as the flour has been absorbed, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Add a light layer of flour on the top 6

and pat it down without kneading. Cover the dough with plastic wrap 7 and put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Then, transfer it to a slightly floured surface. Using two pastry rulers, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to an even thickness of about 1/2" ( 1 cm) 8. Trim the first edge, then cut strips about 1" (2 cm) long using a pastry ruler and a knife 9. 

Create the grid by making the other side 1" (2 cm) wide strips 10, obtaining cubes of about .2 oz (4-5 g) each. Make them into balls in the palm of one hand 11 and place them on a drip pan lined with baking paper, spaced apart12. With these amounts, you should get about 250 balls.

Bake in a static oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 12 minutes. As soon as the cookies are golden, take them out and let them cool down 13. Now soften the chocolate and put it inside a baking paper cone. Turn one half of the half spheres upside down 14 and squeeze some chocolate in the center 15

and put on top of another half sphere 16, lightly pressing them together 17. Repeat this operation for all the cookies and let them solidify before enjoying them 18. If the air temperature is too hoot, put the baci di dama in the refrigerator.