Viennese Hazelnut Butter Thins

1 cup hazelnuts
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ t salt
1¼ cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 t vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. To remove skins from hazelnuts spread in single layer on baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until toasted and skins begin to flake off; let cool slightly. Wrap hazelnuts in heavy kitchen towel; rub against towel to remove as much of the skins as possible.

Place hazelnuts in food processor. Process using on/off pulsing action until hazelnuts are ground, but not pasty.

Place flour and salt in small bowl; stir to combine. Beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down side of bowl once. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat in hazelnuts at low speed until well blended.

Place dough on sheet of waxed paper. Using waxed paper to hold dough, roll it back and forth to form a log 12" long and 2½" wide.


Wrap log in plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.


Preheat oven to 350°F Cut dough with knife crosswise into ¼" thick slices. Place cookies 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets.


Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 1 minute. Remove cookies with spatula to wire racks; cool completely.


Melt chocolate chips in 2 cup glass measure in microwave at HIGH 2½ to 3 minutes, stirring once.


Dip each cookie into chocolate, coating ½ the way up sides. Let excess chocolate drip back into cup. Transfer cookies to waxed paper; let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until set.


Store tightly covered between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature or freeze up to 3 months.


Makes about 3 dozen cookies.