Baci di Dama

Baci di dama translates into lady’s kisses, probably because they resemble two lips coming together to form a kiss – or at least that’s my imagination as to what an Italian man from the 1800s must have imagined.

I first encountered these little hazelnut shortbread delights while working and studying Italian food near Alba in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. I was lucky enough to learn many little confectionary delights from Ugo Alciati, who was considered one of Italy’s premier chefs at that time (ca. 1999). I then received another recipe from an Italian chef friend working in a bakery in the Ligurian coastal town of La Spezia. I remember being fascinated by the recipe when I heard it, “it’s just the classic Italian mix of 1, 1, 1, 1.” That translates to 1 part each of flour, sugar, nuts and butter…with a whole egg sometimes added. I later discovered the recipe is much closer to 1, .75, .75, .75 – or one part flour mixed with 75% of the weight of the flour from powdered sugar, nuts and butter.

These are delicate little cookies to work with. The dough is simple to make, and the key is ensuring it is rested and well-chilled before baking them. I also use a step-down method in baking these cookies. I begin with a higher temperature, then drop the temperature every 5 minutes. This ensures a crispy exterior without overbaking them.

Difficulty: simple- to moderate
Yield: makes 20-24 cookies