Hazelnut Double Chunk Cookies

Directions

To toast and skin the hazelnuts, place them in a single layer in a roasting pan or cookie sheet.

Bake in a 300 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the nuts smell toasted, are golden in the center, and their skins crack.

Rub the nuts between clean tea towels to loosen and remove as much of their skins as possible.

It is okay if some of the skins stay on.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees; butter 2 or 3 cookie sheets.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt onto a sheet of wax paper; set aside.

Place 1 cup of the toasted hazelnuts in a food processor; cover and process until the nuts form a paste, stopping the motor once or twice to scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Coarsely chop the remaining nuts.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed, beat the butter, hazelnut past and sugars until very light.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the liqueur and vanilla extract, beating well after each addition.

Reduce the mixer speed to slow.

Beat in the flour mixture, then the chopped chocolates and remaining hazelnuts.

Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden on the bottom and firm on the top.

Let the cookies stand on the cookie sheets on wire racks for 1 minute, then transfer them to the racks with a metal spatula.

Cool completely; store in a tightly closed container.