Haselnuss Bällchen

Adapted from December 1978 Gourmet Magazine
Makes about 60 cookie balls
Preparation time: About 1 hour; bake time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:
3½ oz semisweet (or dark) chocolate
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1¼ cup ground hazelnuts

Preparation:

A note about the hazelnuts (or filberts): Use pre-ground hazelnuts if you can find them; otherwise, lightly toast raw whole hazelnuts, place them in a paper towel or kitchen towel, and rub off the skins. Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor until they are fine, but do not over-process to a paste.

Melt the chocolate, using a metal bowl set over a saucepan with simmering hot water, or using a microwave-proof bowl and low heat. Watch the chocolate, so it does not burn or overheat.  Let the chocolate cool.

In a bowl beat the butter with the confectioners’ sugar until the mixture is fluffy. (Use a standing mixer, an electric hand-mixer, or mix by hand with a metal whisk.)  Stir in the melted, cooled chocolate and beat the mixture until it is very creamy and smooth. Stir in the ground hazelnuts, form the mixture into a ball, and chill it for at least 30 minutes, wrapped in wax paper or plastic wrap.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pinch off 1 teaspoon of the dough at a time, rolling it in your palms to form a ball. Arrange the balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and bake them for 8 minutes, or until they have lost their gloss. Let the balls cool on the baking sheets and store them in an airtight container.