Bake It: Cinnamon Shortbread with Chocolate Hazelnut Drizzle

This cookie recipe combines the satisfyingly crumbly texture of a timeless shortbread with all 3 of my favorite gelato flavors-- cinnamon, hazelnut and chocolate. Who states you can't have it all? This cookie is the perfect pairing for that afternoon coffee or steamed chai latte. And the secret to the shortbread's crunchy texture is-- you'll never ever guess-- Cream of Wheat.

The Cream of Wheat adds a beautiful crunch to the dough, but you can replace cornmeal or cornstarch for a comparable crumbly texture. Not a fan of hazelnuts?
Makes 12 to 14 cookies

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup entire hazelnuts

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup Cream of Wheat (raw).

1/2 cup granulated sugar.

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

1 cup butter, space temperature level.

1/2 cup chopped semisweet chocolate.

Sea salt.

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 300 degrees.

When the oven is hot, position the hazelnuts on a flat pan and bake them for 5 to 8 minutes or until aromatic. Conclude the hot hazelnuts in a tidy meal towel and rub them intensely to flake off the skins. Carefully chop the hazelnuts and reserved.

In a food mill (or in a big bowl with a fork), mix together the flour, Cream of Wheat, sugar and cinnamon. Include the butter and pulse to form a crumbly mix.

Use your hands to bring the dough together, then press it into an 8-inch square baking pan. Press the dough down firmly to produce an even surface, then prick it all over with a fork. Bake on the center rack for 30 to 40 minutes or till a very pale golden color on the edges. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

On the other hand, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler. Drizzle the shortbread with the melted chocolate and scatter the sliced hazelnuts over the top, completing with a light sprinkling of sea salt. Cut the shortbread into fingers in the pan, then carefully eliminate them to let them complete cooling on a wire rack.
When entirely cool, store in an airtight container for as much as one week.

Registered dietitian and food writer Laura McLively is the author of "The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook." Follow her at @myberkeleybowl and www.lauramclively.com.

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