Chocolate hazelnut cookies!

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup hazelnut syrup
* 1 egg, unbeaten
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 squares semisweet chocolate, melted
* 1 cup all-purpose flour, stir before measuring
* 1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325°.

Cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in salt and sugar. Add syrup and egg; beat well. Blend in vanilla and chocolate. Mix in flour then chopped hazelnuts, mixing until well-blended. Drop level tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto greased cookie sheets. Flatten out a little with fingers or back of a spoon. If desired sprinkle more finely chopped hazelnuts over the top of each cookie. Bake for about 15 minutes, until done.

Makes about 2 to 3 dozen chocolate hazelnut cookies.

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Pecan pie:

* 3/4 cup light brown sugar
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1/4 cup hazelnut syrup
* 1/2 cup butter
* 2 eggs
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups chopped pecans



DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, syrup, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add the milk, vanilla and nuts.
3. Pour into an unbaked 9-in pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done.

hot chocolate!

Do you drink coffee, or or lattes, or milk? I like plain steamed milk with a shot of flavoring as an evening drink in cool weather. Or, as lfr suggests, it's a natural with hot chocolate. Especially with one of those chocolate hazelnut cookies on the side. Mmmm.

Flavored syrups can also make a heck of a milkshake.

Do you bake? Syrups are great for soaking cakes: brush it on poundcake, plain white or yellow cake, or any basic cake, so long as it's not already terrifically moist and the flavors won't clash*. Some bakers brush all their cooled cakes with plain unflavored syrup before frosting, to insure the cake is moist when it's served.

And, of course, Torani has a gajillion ideas for using the stuff.

*Plain yellow cake + hazelnut = yum!
Chocolate cake + hazelnut = yum!
Strawberry coconut layer cake + hazelnut = not so much.

Sounds like something that would go really well with vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

I sometimes top creme caramels (my recipe here)with a shot of Frangelico, so plain syrup would certainly work. Even more so with expresso creme caramels (add several shots to the milk mix and reduce the sugar slightly.

Mmmm...hazelnuts...

I have no suggestions beyond those above, but had to say that ninazer0, I love the name of your blog, and have bookmarked it for leisurely perusal.

*blushes*