Baci di dama or "lady's kisses" are traditional italian hazelnut cookies. Two hazelnut shortbread cookies sandwich a layer of rich dark chocolate. These cookies are perfect with coffee or espresso and are a great addition to any holiday cookie tray.
Want more christmas cookie inspiration? Check out pretzel christmas crack and cream cheese kolaczki.
Finding new Christmas cookies is always a treat, and these are no different! Like ferrero rocher or nutella, these italian cookies combine the delicious flavors of chocolate and hazelnut for the delightful homemade treat. These chewy chocolate hazelnut flour cookies feature the same flavor combination.
Baci di dama are called lady's kisses because they consist of 2 mini cookies sandwiched together with a drop of chocolate between them, like a kiss!
Ingredient Notes
- Hazelnut flour is what sets these little cookies apart. You can find hazelnut flour in well stocked grocery stores or order it online. For the smoothest cookie, finely ground hazelnut flour is best. See note in the next section about making your own hazelnut flour.
- Type 00 flour This type of flour is generally used when making pizza dough or homemade pasta. It is a highly refined, very finely milled, ultra silky flour. This helps give the cookies their characteristic tender texture. All purpose flour will work as well.
- Butter Real butter is a must here, as it gives the cookies a rich flavor and moisture. I always use unsalted butter, but some bakers swear by salted butter and that would be just fine here.
- Egg Not all recipes for baci di dama call for a whole egg. Some call for just the yolk, some just the white, some none at all. I like the richness the yolk adds and the texture and structure the whites give to the cookies.
- Dark Chocolate The dark chocolate offsets the buttery cookies nicely. You can use milk or semisweet if you prefer.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients.
Variations
- How to make homemade hazelnut flour:
- Roast Whole Hazelnuts: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 mins. Remove skins (they will peel easily).
- Cool Hazelnuts: Let them cool completely.
- Grind: In a food processor or blender, pulse hazelnuts until finely ground.
- Sift (Optional): For a finer texture, sift ground hazelnuts through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Use rice flour in place of type 00 flour for a gluten free version of baci cookies.
- Use almond flour in place of hazelnut flour. Hazelnut is traditional, but over the years many versions have started being made with almond flour. Almond flour is more accessible (most grocery stores carry it) and still makes delicious cookies. I use it in these almond flour peanut butter cookies.
How to Make
Step 1. In a bowl or stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 2. Add egg and stir to incorporate.
Step 3. Add hazelnut flour, type 00 flour, and pinch of salt to the butter mixture
Step 4. Stir with a spatula until the dough comes together.
Step 5. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 6. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces.
Step 7. Roll each section into a rope, around 10 inches long.
Step 8. Using a sharp knife, cut each dough rope into 10 equal pieces.
Step 9. Shape the dough sections into small balls, about 1 teaspoon each, and place them on a baking sheet. Place back into the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 10. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the bottoms just start start to turn brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cookies cool completely.
Step 11. While the cookies cool, melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Pair up the cookies based on size and shape.Spoon a small amount of chocolate filling onto the flat side of one cookie and gently press another cookie on top to create a sandwich, forming the characteristic "kiss" shape.
Step 12. Repeat until all cookies are paired and filled. Allow to chocolate to firm up slightly and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Sometimes when sandwiching the two cookies together with the melted chocolate, they can have a tendency to slip around before they harden. To prevent this, allow the chocolate to cool slightly after melting, around 10 minutes. This will help it to firm up slightly and be easier to work with.
- Add a teaspoon of coconut oil to the melted chocolate to keep it softer after cooling.
- These cookies are very simple to make with minimal ingredients, using the best quality ingredients you can will make all the difference.
- Adding a pinch of salt, helps all of the other flavors and sweetness to shine.
Storage
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Baci di dama cookies freeze well, and can been frozen in airtight containers for several months.
Recipe FAQs
Baci di dama translates to "lady's kisses" in english.
The cookies have their roots in the Piedmont region of Italy, especially in the city of Tortona.
This word is pronounced like, "Bah-chee dee dah-mah."
If you tried this Baci di Dama Cookie Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love to hear from you.
Baci di Dama Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup hazelnut flour
- 1 cup type 00 flour
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a bowl or stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and stir to incorporate.
- Add hazelnut flour, type 00 flour, and pinch of salt to the butter mixture and stir with a spatula until the dough comes together. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each section into a rope, around 10 inches long. Using a sharp knife, cut each dough rope into 10 equal pieces.
- Shape the dough sections into small balls, about 1 teaspoon each, and place them on a baking sheet. Place back into the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the bottoms just start start to turn brown.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and let cookies cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between.
- Pair up the cookies based on size and shape.
- Spoon a small amount of chocolate filling onto the flat side of one cookie and gently press another cookie on top to create a sandwich, forming the characteristic "kiss" shape.
- Repeat until all cookies are paired and filled.
- Allow to chocolate to firm up slightly and enjoy.
Notes
- Sometimes when sandwiching the two cookies together with the melted chocolate, they can have a tendency to slip around before they harden. To prevent this, allow the chocolate to cool slightly after melting, around 10 minutes. This will help it to firm up slightly and be easier to work with.
- Add a teaspoon of coconut oil to the melted chocolate to keep it softer after cooling.
- These cookies are very simple to make with minimal ingredients, using the best quality ingredients you can will make all the difference.
- Adding a pinch of salt, helps all of the other flavors and sweetness to shine.
Melissa Szymczak
Thanks for the great step by step and variations! How delicious and easy to create!
Sarah Baumeister
Of course! I'm glad you find them helpful. -Sarah