Mexican Wedding Biscuits
70g hazelnuts
1 tsp vanilla
250g unsalted butter-room temp
2 cups plain flour, sifted
1/2 cup icing sugar,sifted
icing sugar for coating
# Preheat oven 175c.
# Spread the nuts on a shallow baking tray and roast 12-15 minutes or until the skins have darkened and start to split. Remove from the oven and tip into a tea towel. Gather the towel around the nuts and leave a few minutes then rub the nuts together in the towel to loosen and remove the skins. Chop nuts finely and place in a bowl.
# Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla for about 6 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix nuts into flour then stir into the butter mixture until well combined. Don’t beat the mixture or the biscuits may toughen as they bake.
# Drop heaped teaspoonfuls of mixture onto oven sheets lined with baking paper, leaving a few centimeters between each.
# Bake for about 20 minutes. Halfway through cooking time rotate the trays so they sit on different shelves and turn them back to front. After 18 minutes start checking biscuits, when they’re ready the tops will be partly golden and the bottoms golden brown.
# Sift a thick layer of icing sugar into a shallow dish. Let the biscuits cool about 1 minute then a few at a time, put them in the dish and dust with icing sugar. Transfer to a rack to cool. When completely cool, place in airtight jars and seal tightly.
Will keep for a least 2 weeks.
Makes about 45.