Savory hazelnut Baci di Dama with Gorgonzola cream

Craving something delicious? Try our roasted hazelnuts in your savory recipes too. An unusual and fun appetizer, perfect to enjoy with a glass of sparkling wine.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

100 g of roasted hazelnuts
100 g all-purpose flour
100 g cold butter, diced
50 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
1 level teaspoon of salt
a little ice-cold water, if necessary

For the cream:
150 g sweet Gorgonzola
2 tablespoons mascarpone
freshly ground white pepper

---

Method

Chop the hazelnuts in a food processor, adding a couple of tablespoons of flour taken from the total amount, until you obtain a fine crumble.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the diced butter, the remaining flour, the grated Parmesan and the salt. Briefly work the ingredients until you obtain a homogeneous dough, adding a few drops of ice water if necessary. Do not handle the dough for too long to avoid “burning” the butter and compromising the crumbly texture of the baci di dama.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the cream by mixing the Gorgonzola with the mascarpone and a grind of pepper. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Take small portions of dough, shape them into balls and place them on a low-sided baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them.

Bake the baci di dama for about 12–15 minutes: they should be only lightly golden.
Let them cool completely on the tray for at least 15–20 minutes.

Once cooled, place a small amount of Gorgonzola cream on half of the cookies using a teaspoon or a piping bag. Place the remaining cookies on top and gently press them together to form the baci.

Arrange the savory baci di dama in individual paper cups and serve them as an appetizer, accompanied by a glass of sparkling wine.