Recipe from Gourmet Traveler

Ingredients

• 105 gm (3/4 cup) hazelnuts, roasted and peeled
• 160 gm (1 cup) pure icing sugar (I only had confectioners)
• 125 gm softened butter
• 1 orange rind finely grated
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped seeds only
• 150 gm (1 cup) plain flour
• Dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa)

Method

• Roast and peel hazelnuts.  Again, this was the most annoying and time consuming part, but well worth it.  I needed more nuts for another recipe, so just roasted up a whole bunch at once.
• Preheat oven to 350F.  Process hazelnuts and icing/confectioners sugar in food processor until nuts are finely ground.
• Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter, orange zest, vanilla seeds, nut/sugar mixture, and a pinch of salt until creamy.

I love using real vanilla bean (even if it does get in my fingernails!)

• Next add the flour, stirring until just combined (do not overmix)

• Roll half teaspoons (yes, thats right, half teaspoons! i was tempted to make them larger, but they really come out better and cuter when tiny) of dough into balls and arrange on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
• Bake 12-15 minutes in center of oven until golden, then cool on wire racks.

• If you’re into chocolate, melt some in a double boiler, and dip buiscuits into chocolate to coat.  Let dry on parchment paper.

Keep in fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.