My Norwegian mother-in-law’s go-to cookie recipe!
I have a confession to make. I haven’t cooked a single thing except for porridge for the kids’ breakfast for nearly three weeks! My mother-in-law had been visiting from Norway for a fortnight, and I’d taken on some extra shifts at work for holiday cover, which meant, to my delight, that she completely took over all the cooking duties for the family.
We’ve been treated to all sorts of wonderful home cooked meals, Persian rice, a gorgeous impressive slow cooked lamb, aubergine and rice dish, sweet apricot chicken, cakes, cookies, stir fries, tender pork fillet, roast chicken – we’ve been spoiled!
I came home for lunch one day to find a full spread laid out ready to eat – leftover cold roast chicken arranged beautifully with fresh orange slices, kalamata olives and whipped mayonnaise sprinkled with paprika. On the side, beautiful leftover roast chicken stuffing made with chickpeas, raisins and a special Persian spice mix (I meant to get this recipe before she left! I must send her an email!).
And there were cookies!
I can’t remember the last time I came home and there was a tray of freshly baked cookies cooling on a tray. I think I might have been 15 and living with my grandparents – and that was a very, very long time ago! I was over the moon!
So, of course, before I sat down to eat I had to take a few photographs so I could share the recipe with you all.
With only four ingredients these cookies are a cinch to make, and my mother-in-law says this is her go-to cookie recipe as it turns out so lovely each time. The secret is to use freshly ground hazelnuts. You can do this with a nut grinder or process them in a high powered blender such as the Froothie Optimum 9400 blender.
I’m pretty sure it was me who ate most of this batch of cookies she made. I kept returning to the cookie tin like a woman possessed!
My lovely mother-in-law has returned home now, so today is the first day I will be resuming cooking duties. Wish me luck!
4-Ingredient Hazelnut Cookies
Ingredients
- 200 grams butter
- 1 dl caster sugar (see recipe notes)
- 100 grams hazelnuts plus extra, for decoration
- 200 grams plain flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C/160 C fan and line a baking tray.
- Freshly grind the hazelnuts in a nut grinder, or process them in a high powered blender until they are finely chopped.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy and white in colour.
- Add the ground hazelnuts and flour, and combine well.
- Shape into small balls about the size of a small walnut, flatten slightly and place on the baking tray.
- Press a whole hazelnut into the top of each cookie.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Leave on the baking tray to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Cookies will keep well for several days.
Notes
OTHER NUTTY RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Cashew & Coffee Cookies by Kellie’s Food to Glow
Old Fashioned Nut Butter Biscuits by Kavey Eats
Peanut Cookies from ET Speaks From Home
Chocolate Hazelnut Crackles from Tin & Thyme
Peanut Butter Cookies by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
If you fancy something a bit different, why not try Bintu’s roasted cashews! These spicy roasted cashews are perfect for party nibbles.
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Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary uses the Froothie Optimum 9400 blender, and the Froothie Optimum 600 slow juicer to make her juices, soups and smoothies. These are affiliate links, meaning if you buy a blender or juicer through them we will earn a small commission. This is not a paid post and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Mum of three, daydream adventurer, OU Life Sciences graduate, occasional crafter, ex-pat Canadian & quite possibly Britain's most northerly food blogger.
Jm says
1dl of sugar? Why not just call it 100 ml? And why use a liquid measure for a dried ingredient?
The cookies were edible, but not wonderful. I won’t be using this recipe again!
Elizabeth says
I’m very sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the recipe. It’s my mother-in-law’s recipe, and that’s how they measure sugar (for some unfathomable reason!) in Norway.
Meagan says
These look really good and easy! I’m excited to try making them. 🙂 But I’m having trouble translating it to cups. It comes out all uneven! I figure it can be generalized to cups, but I’m a pretty novice and unconfident baker. Any suggestions of how it could translate to even cups? And I don’t get the US oz either… My dry ingredients measuring cups are all cheap and unmarked, so no help there either. Knowing you originally come from the land of using cups in baking, I am hoping that you will have ideas. xD
Elizabeth says
I would recommend investing in a pair of kitchen scales. Once you start cooking in grams you could never go back to cups – more accurate results each and every time, lol! I’m not very good at converting grams to cups, I’m afraid.
Meagan says
Wow, scales…that sounds neat! I honestly had no idea about this form of measurement for cooking. But I love your recipes so maybe I should try to find some. 🙂
Elizabeth says
You can pick up some relatively inexpensive digital ones that will tuck away into a cupboard or drawer. I was reluctant when I first started measuring like that (everything is measured in grams here in the UK), but I quickly learned that it’s so much easier and accurate. Miss you! xx
Meagan says
I’ll seriously look into it! Though I might try experimenting with cups on this recipe till then. Miss you too! I’d ask when are you moving back, already, but it seems like you have such an interesting and good life there. We hope to one day be lucky enough to visit you! 😀
Ana De- Jesus says
I have never tried Persian food before but it sounds absolutely delicious especially the variety of flavours and spices they use. The cookies looks good too.
Heather Haigh says
Just my sort of recipe!
bev says
they look easy and yummy
Penny H says
Oh, these look delicious and so easy to make too. Lucky you coming home to a tray of home baking 🙂
Kellie@foodtoglow says
Not sure why I can’t spell my own blog name, lol…
Kellie@foodtogloe says
I’m not often baking biscuits but we do like nut-based, simple ones like these, Elizabeth. Lush, reach-your-hand-in images, as always. Just pass the milk! PS thabks for including my own cashew and coffee biscuits. 🙂
peter @feedyoursoultoo says
The cookies look perfect. I could eat the whole plate.
Joanne T Ferguson says
I love the taste of hazelnut and wish I could try one of your cookies right now! Pinned and shared!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
What a delicious little treat. I love simple recipes like this that have hardly any ingredients.
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
These look and sound amazing! What a special treat for you and your family! Love the simplicity!
Choclette says
How absolutely wonderful to have someone take over cooking duties for a while and just when you were so busy too – perfect. These cookies look pretty perfect too. Bookmarked.
mummy m's memories says
Oh how lovely that you didn’t have to cook for two weeks! Sounds like you have an amazing mother in law! Good luck with your cooking duties again!
Stuart Vettese says
You are very lucky Elizabeth – I’d love to come home to freshly baked cookies. They look fab. Thanks for sharing and taking part in Treat Petite.
Kerry @ Kerry Cooks says
I never normally eat cookies that don’t contain at least three kinds of chocolate, but these look amazing!
Jo of Jo's Kitchen says
Can you send your MIL round to mine please? They look lovelu
Laura@howtocookgoodfood says
These sound so good, I am envious you have such a good cook in the house . What a lovely treat to have help!
Christina says
Oh, thanks for this! Yesterday I made an attempt to make cookies. It was an absolute disaster!!!! I’ll definitely try your mother-in-law’s recipe!
Laura says
These sound sort of shortbready which means I’ve got to make them – I just don’t know when because other recipes get in the way as is the food blogger curse as I’m sure you know! I hope your mother in law will forgive me when I do because I’ve got a feeling I’ll be leaving the hazelnut off until after baking then filling it with Nutella before adding the hazelnut again. Um, sorry?!
Joyce mccormack says
These look truly scrumptious; I’m going to get Sam to have a bash at making them before he leaves to make his own mark on student life in Glasgow in a few short weeks time.
Elizabeth says
Oh bless – is he that age already!!
Stella Kashmoney says
Your pictures are so good. Those hazelnut cookies look so yummy. I will be trying this out.