Holiday Baking: Olive Oil and Hazelnut Cookies

Have you ever thought about baking with olive oil? It's really not that odd of a concept. While many people enjoy olive oil for its flavor light-tasting olive oil is perfect when you're looking for something with less assertive flavor. It's just about as mild as vegetable oil, but it's olive oil.

These cookies make good use of the oil. They still have some butter - it's needed for the cookie structure - but there's quite a bit of oil, as well.

The cookies are crisp, with lovely brown edges, while the hazelnut adds flavor. If you're in the mood for garnishing, a sprinkle of powdered sugar would be great, or a drizzle of melted chocolate. If you like sandwich cookies, a smear of Nutella between two cookies would be perfect.

Olive Oil and Hazelnut Cookies
Makes 6 dozen cookies

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup Bertolli Extra Light-Tasting Olive Oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) sprouted wheat flour
3 cups (13 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour

1/2 cup hazelnut meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1 /2 teaspoons kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, olive oil, and sugars. Continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. You can also do this in a bowl, using an electric mixer.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, hazelnut meal, baking powder, and salt. Still well to distribute the salt and baking powder, then add this mixture to the wet ingredients (it's easiest to do this in about 3 additions) beating it until combined. This mixture won't be dense, like a standard cookie dough - it will be light and fluffy, almost like a fluffy frosting.

Using a small (1 1/2-inch) scoop, place scoops onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving plenty of space between the cookies for them to spread.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are just browned on the edges. Remove them to a rack to cool. The cookies will be very soft when they're warm, but they will harden as they cool.

This post is sponsored by Bertolli Olive Oil. All words are my own.

WANT TO WIN?

Bertolli has sponsored Virtual Potluck for a series of posts, and as a group, we're giving away SIX prize packs of 3 bottles of Bertolli olive oil. The varieties in the prize pack will include the following: Organic EVOO, Classico Olive Oil and Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil.

US residents only; 18 years and older. Prize will be shipped from the sponsor directly to the winner. Contest ends 1/1/14. Good luck!

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