Baci di Alassio are decadent chocolate hazelnut cookies sandwiched with velvety dark chocolate ganache. They're a local specialty of the Ligurian town of Alassio, Italy. The ground hazelnuts and cocoa powder in these flourless cookies provide a rustic texture that's chewy and soft, similar to that of French macarons.
This baci di Alassio recipe uses only 6 ingredients to create a deliciously rich (and flourless!) chocolate hazelnut sandwich cookie. The main flavors are from toasted ground hazelnuts and rich cocoa powder.
Combined, they form a thick batter that is piped into round stars and baked. After baking, they're sandwiched together with a silky smooth chocolate ganache.
These baci differ from their better known cousins, baci di dama. While baci di dama contain butter and flour (and no cocoa) and have a crispy, firm texture, these baci di Alassio are flourless and have a slight crunch with a nutty, chewy center.
The word baci means "kisses" in Italian. The name is rumored to have originated from the shape of the two cookies coming together like lips to form a kiss.
These cookies, sometimes known as baci di riviera, were invented around 1910 by a famous pastry chef from Alassio, Rinaldo Balzola. He created them as a gastronomic souvenir for tourists visiting the Ligurian town from abroad.
The original recipe is a closely guarded secret, and each Italian bakery has their own rendition. This is my version, after 6 rounds of recipe tests to get just the right flavor, consistency and technique.
If you like chocolate and hazelnut, you'll also enjoy these nutella biscuits, crostata alla nutella (chocolate hazelnut tart), and nussecken (German nut corners).
You can also explore the entire collection of cookie recipes here, including these rich chocolate coffee mascarpone sandwich cookies and these delicate alfajores de maicena, which are Argentine shortbread sandwich cookies with dulce de leche.
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Ingredients
* See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
Hazelnuts - My hazelnuts came toasted, but I've included instructions for roasting them in case yours are raw.
You can also use finely ground hazelnut meal or hazelnut flour. If using ground nuts, use the same amount by weight; do not measure by volume.
Cocoa powder - I use Dutch process cocoa powder for a rich, dark chocolate flavor. You can use either natural or Dutch process cocoa in this recipe.
Honey - Honey serves as a binder and adds additional moisture and flavor to the recipe.
Egg whites - Egg whites should be at room temperature.
Instructions
These photos provide visual cues. Find detailed instructions in the recipe card.
To the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add toasted (cooled) hazelnuts and sugar.
Blend hazelnuts and granulated sugar until the mixture is very finely ground.
Grind your hazelnut and sugar mixture as finely as possible. This will help create the thickest batter for the piped cookies. A thicker batter will keep the cookies from spreading as much, and they'll have a taller, more defined star shape after baking.
Place nut mixture in a large bowl and add cocoa and honey, stirring well to fully incorporate these ingredients. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt to stiff peaks.
Gently fold egg whites into nut mixture just until mixed.
Place batter in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe 1 inch stars onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
While cookies bake, heat heavy cream until almost simmering, and add finely chopped chocolate.
Gently whisk cream and chocolate until ganache is smooth and no lumps of chocolate remain.
Once ganache is thick enough to pipe, place ganache in piping bag with an open tip. Pipe a bit of ganache onto the base of a cookie and press together with another cookie to form a sandwich. Repeat for remaining baci cookies.
Curing the cookies
Some recipes ask you to cure the cookies at room temperature overnight prior to baking. While I tried this with good results* in my recipe tests, I'm hesitant to recommend the method for US bakers as the recipe contains raw egg whites, and our US eggs are processed differently from European eggs.
If you know the origin and treatment of your eggs (ie, they're unwashed), leaving the unbaked piped cookies out at room temperature overnight is up to you!
* The flavor and texture of the cured version is the same as the uncured, immediately baked cookies. The only notable differences:
- The definition of the star shape is more crisp and pronounced on the cookies that have been left out overnight
- The cured cookies are taller and spread a bit less
Substitutions
Honey - If you don't have honey (or aren't able to eat it), you can substitute an equal amount of golden syrup or light corn syrup.
Cocoa powder - Since this recipe uses egg whites for leavening, you can use either Dutch process or natural cocoa powder interchangeably.
Variations
If you'd like to try a different twist on these Italian chocolate hazelnut sandwich cookies, consider this suggestion:
- Spiked ganache - Reduce the heavy cream by 1 Tablespoon. Add 1 Tablespoon of your preferred liquor to the cream and proceed with the recipe as written. You might try bourbon, a hazelnut liqueur such as Frangelico, or a coffee liqueur like Kahlua.
Equipment
Piping bags - To pipe the baci, I use a double layer of 16 inch piping bags since the batter is very thick.
Piping tips - For the cookies, I tested both an Ateco 868 French star pastry tip, and a Wilton 4B open star tip. While both work, I find it easier to use the larger Ateco 868 tip to smoothly pipe the very thick batter.
For the chocolate ganache, I use a Wilton 1A round tip.
Storage
Store: Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freeze: Freeze cookies in an airtight container or zipper sealed bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Make ahead: Pipe the cookies, gently cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator overnight prior to baking. Bring cookies to room temperature prior to baking.
Frequently asked questions
If your baci went flat after baking, it's likely that the batter was too thin. The two most common issues are:
Hazelnuts ground too coarsely: If the hazelnuts are not finely ground, they won't create enough structure with the liquid ingredients and the batter will be thin.
Too much egg white: Egg whites vary in size. In this recipe I use 2 large egg whites (US standard), which average about 66-68 grams total. It's helpful to weigh them to confirm size.
If you're having a hard time forming the baci, your batter is likely too thick.
This could be due to too many hazelnuts or cocoa powder. It could also be due to too little egg white or honey.
You might also be using a smaller piping tip than recommended.
For accuracy and best results with this recipe, I highly recommend weighing all of your ingredients using a digital scale.
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating. ★★★★★ Your feedback, suggestions, and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers!
📖 Recipe
Baci di Alassio
INGREDIENTS
Baci di Alassio Cookies
- 250 grams (1¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon) hazelnuts, whole
- 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 25 grams (¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon) cocoa powder, (Dutch process)
- 21 grams (1 Tablespoon) honey
- 2 large (66-68 grams) egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt , (I use Diamond Crystal)
Chocolate Ganache
- 113 grams (⅓ cup + 2 Tablespoons) heavy cream
- 113 grams (⅔ cup) dark chocolate, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Baci di Alassio Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4) with rack in center of oven.
- If your hazelnuts are not yet toasted, spread the nuts onto a rimmed sheet pan. Roast for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Nuts will have a toasted smell and begin to turn golden brown. Keep an eye on this process - you don't want to burn expensive ingredients!! Pour toasted nuts onto a cold cookie sheet to speed the cooling process. Set aside to fully cool. Keep oven on.
- To the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add the cooled hazelnuts (warm nuts will give you hazelnut butter) and granulated sugar. Process until the mixture is very finely ground. You want the nuts to be as fine as possible to help make the batter thick.250 grams (1¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon) hazelnuts, 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- Pour nut mixture into a large bowl. Add cocoa powder and stir well with a spoon or spatula to incorporate fully. Nut mixture should be evenly dark brown. Use your fingers to break up any nut-sugar clumps. Thinly drizzle honey over the entire mixture to help spread it out evenly. Stir very well, pressing the mixture into the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure there are no pockets of honey left. Set aside.25 grams (¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon) cocoa powder, 21 grams (1 Tablespoon) honey
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites. Beat on medium speed until foamy. Turn off the mixer and add the salt. Continue beating on medium until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until stiff.2 large (66-68 grams) egg whites, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add egg whites to bowl with nut mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the nut mixture until no egg white streaks remain. Do this by scooping one side of the mixture from below and turning it upside-down onto the other side of the mixture. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn. Repeat just as needed.
- Scoop the batter into a piping bag* fitted with a large open star tip (my preference is an Ateco #868 French star tip.) A smaller Wilton 4B tip is still possible, but more challenging as the opening is smaller for the stiff batter.* I use a double bag for this recipe as backup in case the first bag splits; the batter is very thick and you have to squeeze pretty firmly.
- Line a rimmed half sheet baking pan with parchment paper. Pipe 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) stars onto the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Keep the bag upright so that the tip of the star is centered in the middle of the cookie, and hold it above the pan as you squeeze the bag so that the batter has a bit of height as it comes out. If your piped cookies don't want to release from the piping bag, swirl the tip around a little to loosen them. Lightly dampen a finger to gently reshape any star points that are too tall or misshapen.
- Bake one tray of baci cookies at a time for 9-10 minutes. When done, cookies should be slightly dull, firm to a gentle touch on the outside, and still soft inside. You should be able to lift a cookie off the parchment paper without it sticking. The bottom should be caramelized and a bit shiny. Cool cookies on the pan.
Chocolate Ganache
- In a microwave safe container (or the top of a double boiler), heat the cream in 15 second increments until it steams and small bubbles form along the edge of the container. Do not boil. Remove from heat and add finely chopped chocolate. Ensure all chocolate is covered by the cream.113 grams (⅓ cup + 2 Tablespoons) heavy cream, 113 grams (⅔ cup) dark chocolate
- Let sit for 1 minute, and then gently and slowly whisk until all chocolate has melted and no lumps remain. Set aside to cool somewhat (don't wait 'til it's completely cool or it will be too firm to pipe.)
- Once thick enough to pipe, place into a piping bag lined with an open circle tip. I use a Wilton 1A tip, but you can also simply cut the end off the bag. Pipe a small amount of ganache onto the base of a cookie, and sandwich together with a similar sized cookie. Continue until all cookies have been filled and paired.
Moira says
I’m so frustrated! I’ve loved these cookies since I first found them at a bakery in Dallas. This is the second recipe I’ve tried. I’ve had similar issues. No way can I pipe this dough through a pastry bag! I’ve tried just rolling them into balls. Messy. This time I used a 1tsp cookie scoop but the dough is just not sticking together. Help!
Kathleen Culver says
Hi Moira,
Oh no - it is SO frustrating when a recipe doesn't turn out like you're hoping, especially with expensive ingredients!
I'd love to help you troubleshoot.
It sounds like your dough is turning out too thick for piping?
If you can give me more details, we can try to solve this!
Are you using a digital scale to measure the ingredients?
That's my first recommendation.
How finely ground were your hazelnuts?
What size star tip are you using for your piping bag?
Best,
Kathleen
Vanessa says
Would these freeze well?
Kathleen Culver says
Hi Vanessa,
Yes. Per the recipe storage details:
Freeze cookies in an airtight container or zipper sealed bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Thanks,
Kathleen
Toni McCormick says
Kathleen! You are one of my "trinity" of sacred bakers--Stella Parks is the other w the third rotating contributors! I can't wait to try these for the holidays along w the cherry & salted caramel tart (you had me at David Lebovitz)!!! The chocolate mascarpone tart was a HUGE hit during Mardi Gras!!!! Between the "glucose" issues & extended heat we have in N.O. I don't bake as much as I used to but YOUR recipes are the exception!
Javier Sampedro says
Great photos and fantastic dessert.
Kathleen Culver says
Thanks, Javi!
I'm glad you liked them.
Kathleen