For these hazelnut biscuits, I use ground hazelnuts. The hazelnuts should be toasted and skinned before being ground. Sometimes I have managed to buy packets of hazelnuts that are already toasted and skinned. This is a life-saver when in a hurry! To toast and skin the hazelnuts do the following.
- Heat the oven to 180°C. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes (or until you can smell the lovely aroma of the hazelnuts!). Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cold, the skins should be starting to peel off and should rub off completely either in a tea towel or by hand.
Once toasted and skinned, place the hazelnuts in a food processor and process until finely ground.
Sometimes when grinding the hazelnuts on their own they can lump together and remain coarse. This can result in biscuits that are lumpy and misshapen. If this happens, combine the 1 cup of ground hazelnuts with the ¾ of a cup of white rice flour and place in a food processor. Process in several bursts of about 10 seconds until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.
The mixture makes about 24 medium sized biscuits.
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup ground hazelnuts
- ¾ cup white rice flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 190° C.
Beat together egg, sugar and salt until thick and pale.
Beat in the oil.
Add the hazelnuts, rice flour and baking powder. Mix to combine.
The mixture may be slightly sticky but should roll easily in the hand. If the mixture doesn’t roll easily, add up to another 2 tablespoons of white rice flour to bring it to a rolling consistency.
Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on a lined baking tray. Using a fork or the bottom of a glass, flatten the biscuits to 3-4mm.
Bake for 15 minutes.
