Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies

Makes 24

Cookies:
125g unsalted butter, softened
140g caster sugar
1 free-range egg yolk
2 Tbsp full fat milk
1 tsp Heilala pure vanilla extract
150g Girolomoni ‘00’ flour or Sabato gluten-free flour
⅓ cup Valrhona cocoa powder, sifted
½ cup Hazelz roasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
Valrhona dark crunchy pearls, to decorate

Ganache:
100g Valrhona Manjari feves
⅓ cup cream

Put butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat until pale and creamy. Beat in egg yolk, milk and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa and hazelnuts; mix until just combined. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Shape dough into 24 walnut sized balls and put onto two greased baking trays. Using your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon, press a deep indentation into the centre of each ball. Bake at 180°C for 12-15 minutes, or until set when lightly touched. Remove cookies to cool on wire racks.

For the ganache, put chocolate and cream in a small bowl. Microwave on high at 20-second intervals until chocolate is melted, stir until smooth. Spoon a little into the centre of each cookie. Scatter with chocolate pearls and leave to set.

Recipe by Julie Le Clerc