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Baci di Dama (‘lady’s kiss’ choc-hazelnut biscuits)

By Simon Bajada

Baci di Dama (‘lady’s kiss’ choc-hazelnut biscuits)
Liguria, Piedmont and Aosta all offer their own version of a kiss in sandwiched biscuit form and they share a common trait: the use of nuts and chocolate.

Baci di Dama (‘lady’s kiss’ choc-hazelnut biscuits) Recipe

In Alassio, cocoa finds its way into the crumb along with nuts, and is sandwiched together with a chocolate cream. In Aosta, more specifically Nus, the baci are made with walnuts and hazelnut in the biscuit, as walnuts grow abundantly in the valley. This kiss lasts longer because an extra layer of chocolate is added on top of the biscuit.

But the protagonist in this swathe of kisses is the lady’s kiss from Piedmont. I feel it’s the perfect representation of Turin, which is known for its cafe culture, production of chocolate and more specifically, the love of combining chocolate and hazelnuts. I like to speculate that Napoleon had a part in creating this marvellous union. In 1806, at the height of the Napoleonic Wars, he halted the importation of cocoa to Turin, which spurred the local chocolatiers to innovate and turn to locally grown hazelnut to bolster chocolate production. They ground it down into a paste and mixed it with chocolate to create gianduja, small chocolates wrapped in foil with a soft silky texture and an incredible mouthfeel. The popular spread, Nutella, is an evolution of these Turin treats. And this recipe is Turin’s and greater Piedmont’s appreciation for hazelnut and chocolate in biscuit form.

Makes 25

Ingredients

  • 100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
  • 100 g (3½ oz) butter
  • 100 g (3½ oz/¾ cup) roasted hazelnuts
  • 100 g (3½ oz/²⁄₃ cup) 00 flour
  • 60 g (2 oz/½ cup) dark chocolate, 70% minimum

Method

  1. Blend the sugar and butter in a food processor for a few minutes, then add the hazelnuts and blitz – you want the hazelnut texture to be slightly coarser than hazelnut meal. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, then fold in the flour and bring together to form a dough.
  2. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) fan-forced and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
  3. Take teaspoonfuls of the dough and roll into 50 small balls. Place on the prepared trays and bake for 15 minutes, then set aside on a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Dip one side of each biscuit into the chocolate and sandwich with another biscuit. I always try to sandwich as much chocolate as I can; I find it’s best to rest them against each other while the chocolate sets. Allow chocolate to set before serving.

This is an edited extract from Tramontana by Simon Bajada, published by Hardie Grant Books. Available in stores from the 28th of July. Photography by Simon Bajada.

More recipes from Tramontana by Simon Bajada, try

Pesto Alla Genovese

Muscoli Ripiene

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