Ingredients

  • 1 cup blanched hazelnuts
  • 1/2 cup unsalted, roasted almonds
  • 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Method

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
  • Combine almonds, brown sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup hazelnuts in a food processor. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; reserve pod for another use. Pulse until finely ground, then pulse in flour just to combine. Add butter; process until dough just comes together.
  • Roll dough into 1" balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2" apart. Flatten cookies to a little less than 1/2" thick. Coarsely chop remaining 1/2 cup hazelnuts and press gently into cookies.
  • Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cookies cool completely.
  • DO AHEAD: