The name means "lady's kisses," which tells you everything about their size and the way they are eaten: one, then immediately another. Two hazelnut-and-butter half-shells pressed together with a smear of dark chocolate, the whole thing barely larger than a coin. They are made all over Piemonte for any occasion that calls for something small and careful.
The dough comes together quickly and needs about an hour in the refrigerator before rolling. The rolling is the slow part: each ball should be the same size, because they bake fast and uneven balls mean some raw, some overdone. A small kitchen scale is useful here.
We use our chopped hazelnuts ground fine in a food processor. The texture should be a coarse flour, not a paste. Stop before the oils release.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Place the chopped hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse to a coarse meal. Add the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture just comes together into a crumbly dough. Do not over-mix.
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and bring it together gently with your hands. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
Heat the oven to 340°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Working quickly with cold dough, roll pieces into balls weighing about 0.25 oz each. Use a kitchen scale and be consistent: uneven balls bake unevenly. Place the balls 1.2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cookies are pale golden on top and just slightly darker at the base. They will be quite soft straight from the oven. Leave to cool completely on the sheets before handling.
While the cookies cool, melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat.
Once the cookies are completely cool, pair them by size. Place a small dot of melted chocolate, about 1/2 tsp, on the flat side of one cookie. Press its pair on top, flat sides together, and hold gently for a few seconds to set. Repeat with all remaining cookies.
Allow the chocolate to set fully at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, or refrigerate briefly for a firmer set. Store in a tin at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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Cold butter is not optional here. Warm butter makes the dough greasy and the cookies spread too much. If your kitchen is warm, work in two batches and keep the second half of the dough refrigerated while you roll the first.
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