How To make Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints

1/2 c Hazelnuts
1 1/2 c Flour
1/4 c Unsweetened cocoa
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 c Plus 2 tb unsalted butter
= room temp 7 tb Sugar
1 Egg
1 Egg yolk
1/2 ts Vanilla
1/3 c Raspberry preserves
1 ts Powdered sugar
Recipe by: Seattle Times 1. Put the nuts in a small baking pan and toast in a preheated
350-degree oven about 7 to 10 minutes, or until the skins start to crack.
Cool slightly and put into a kitchen towel; rub together to remove the skins. Cool completely. Process in a food processor until finely ground. Set aside. 2. Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt; set aside. With an electric
mixer cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla; mix to blend. Slowly add the flour mixture in 3 additions, beating well after each addition. Add the nuts, mixing until well blended. 3. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on 2 ungreased baking
sheets. Make an indentation with your thumb in the center of each cookie. Spoon a little of the raspberry preserves into the indentations. (It is easiest to use a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon.) 4. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Just before
serving, sift the powdered sugar lightly over the cookies. NOTES : The cookies can be frozen without the powdered sugar. Defrost and dust with the sugar just before serving. -----