Bocconotti Cookies Filled With Hazelnut Cream

These Bocconotti are delicious little tartlets filled with a hazelnut cream filling. Those who love the taste of chocolate and hazelnuts will appreciate these delightful desserts.

To make the bocconotti, you begin by making a pastry dough with flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, butter, and eggs. Then, once the dough has chilled in the fridge, it gets rolled out and cut into portions to line each mould with the dough. Finally, the pastries get filled with hazelnut cream and topped with another portion of the dough before being baked in the oven. Once baked, they can be served on a platter and dusted with powdered sugar.

What are Bocconotti?

Bocconotti are bite-sized Italian pastries that are filled with hazelnut cream, jam, or nuts. Traditionally, they are served around Christmas but they are served at other times of year as well. This version uses a hazelnut cream filling, which is decadent and tantalizing, and perfect with a cup of coffee!

Pro Tips

• Make sure the butter is cold which will ensure you get a beautifully textured pastry with a flaky texture.
• Allow the dough to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so it is nice and cold, and easy to work with.
• If you find that the dough is too firm after refrigeration, allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes until it is soft enough to roll out.
• Feel free to use other types of fillings like apricot jam, grape jam, or strawberry jam if you would like something different.
• Chopped nuts like hazelnuts, pistachios, or almonds can be added to the filling if you would like the bocconotti to have a crunchy texture.

What to Serve with Bocconotti?

Simply serve these bocconotti dusted with powdered sugar and a cup of coffee or tea for a delicious treat.

Where Can I Find Molds for Bocconotti?

You should be able to find metal molds to use for bocconotti online or any store that sells kitchen and baking equipment. However, if you have mini tart pans on hand, you could use those as well.

What Can I Do if My Dough Seems Dry?

If you find that your dough is too dry, you can simply add water until your dough reaches a workable consistency.

How Can I Tell the Bocconotti are Baked?

The bocconotti should be golden in color and firm when they are baked through. If you find they are a little pale in color or feel soft to the touch, simply continue baking them until they are golden and firm.

How to Store Bocconotti

These bocconotti can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, and should stay fresh for 3 to 4 days. However, if you would like to keep them for longer, you could also put them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Make Bocconotti

In a bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar and vanilla sugar until combined. Knead in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Knead in the eggs until a smooth dough is formed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out and cut it into shapes that will fit your moulds. Press the cutouts into each mould.

Fill the pastries with the hazelnut cream.

Top the pastries with another pastry cut out and pinch it to seal.

Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them in a 360 F/180 C oven for 20 minutes.

To serve, unmould the pastries and serve them on a platter dusted with powdered sugar.