What Laura Made: Hazelnut Moments with Choc Berry Filling

This weekend I visited my lovely friend Laura who lives just outside London. We had a lovely weekend driving around the English countryside as she showed me the cute villages around where she lives.

One of my favourite things to do is drive in the countryside and since I can't drive (legally), it's a treat when a friend can take me. We visited a few charity and vintage shops and I wanted to buy all of the tea cups. But I resisted. We also went to a little shop called Bakewell. It was very hard to not load up my basket with a shop worth of baking bits but I managed to come out with just a cake box and THE BEST INVENTION EVER... a reusable non-stick baking mat.

I was kindly given one of these a few years ago. I cut the mat to fit perfectly into my cookie tray meaning no more baking paper (also good for the environment - REDUCE first, recycle second). However, I have two trays! It's been on my list for while, so I was allowed this purchase. If you bake and/or cook regularly these are a must have and I highly recommend.

Most of friends know I don't ever show up empty handed so I took along these decadent treats to say thanks for having me. I wish I had the non-stick mat before I made them... Make sure you use fresh raspberries and eat them with a fresh pot of tea :)

Hazelnut Moments with Choc Berry Filling
by Women's Weekly Macaroons & Biscuits

90g unsalted butter, softened

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

55g caster sugar

1 egg

50g ground hazelnuts

110g plain flour

25g cocoa powder

For the filling

90g dark eating chocolate, melted

60g unsalted butter, softened

110g Nutella

35g fresh raspberries, chopped coarsely

Beat butter, extract, sugar and egg in a small bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Stir in the ground hazelnuts, then sifted flour and cocoa.

Divide the dough in half; roll each half between sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line oven trays with baking paper.

Cut dough into 4cm fluted rounds; place on trays 2.5cm apart. Bake about 8 minutes. Cool on trays.

Make choc berry filling by beating cooled chocolate, butter and Nutella in a small bowl with an electric mixer until thick and glossy. Fold in the raspberries.

Spoon choc berry filling into piping bags fitted with 2cm fluted tube. Pipe filling onto flat side of half the biscuits; top with remaining biscuits.