Baci di Dama Biscotti - Lady's Kisses Cookies

Years ago when I owned an Italian coffee shop these Baci di Dama cookies were one of the staples in our dessert case. People always loved their adorable unique shape and taste, and their petite size seemed to make them a favorite accompaniment to a cup of coffee or tea.

The name, “Baci di Dama” means “Ladies Kisses” in English which I believe makes them that much cuter! These cookies originated in the town of Tortona, in Piedmont, which is famous for it’s hazelnuts :) Other variations of this cookie came later including using almonds instead of hazelnut, adding in cocoa and honey to the cooking (Baci di Alassio) or making the cookie chocolate and then having a chocolate or white chocolate center. They are all yummy!

Along with being a perfect cookie for the holidays, these are one of my favorites to give as gifts. Put some of these little darlings in a pretty tin with a ribbon on top and make someone’s day :)

P.S. These can be made gluten free too :) See note under recipe.

The Recipe

Baci di Dama - Lady’s Kisses

For the cookies -

1 Cup Hazelnuts - toasted, skins removed
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 stick plus 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter - softened

For the filling -

4 oz Bittersweet Chocolate or Semisweet Chocolate - chopped
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter - softened

Preparing the hazelnuts -

If you can buy toasted hazelnut great, but if you can’t they are easy to do yourself. Put them on a sheet cake pan and toast in the oven at 325 for 10 - 15 min or until golden and fragrant. Let cool slightly.

Place the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel and rub back and forth to loosen the skins. It isn’t necessary to get every last bit. Discard the skins and let the nuts cool. When ready, process them in a food processor until you have made fine crumbs

Preparing the dough for Baci di Dama -

Place the processed hazelnuts in a large bowl or the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, add in the flour, sugar and butter.
Stir or mix all the ingredients together into a smooth dough.
Divide the dough into 4 parts and roll each one to a log approx. 10 inches long. Cover with plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
When the dough is ready work with one log at a time. Cut the log into 16 equal sized pieces and roll them into balls. Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, keeping a 1 inch space between each cookie. Continue with the rest of the dough.
Bake the cookies in a 350 degree until firm but not browned, approx. 14 - 16 ( I recommend checking at the 12 min mark.) Let the cookies cool for 5 min and then place them on cooling racks to cool completely.
* To make these Baci di Dama gluten free simply substitute the all-purpose flour for a 1 to 1 gluten free mix like Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 or Cup4Cup. Follow all the direction the same.

Preparing the filling for Baci di Dama -

Place the chocolate and butter into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure bowl fits comfortably over the pan and that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Let sit over the simmering water, stirring often, until the chocolate is smooth. This can also be done in a microwave. Heat in 10 second increments, stirring each time you check it.

Assembling the Baci di Dama -

When the cookies are completely cooled, place a dollop of chocolate on the bottom of one cookie and top with another cookie, making sure to place it bottom side down. Place the filled cookies back on the cooling rack and let sit until the chocolate center has set.