Chocolate-Hazelnut Shortbread Bites

Toast the nuts in a skillet for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the nuts have cooled, grind them into a flour along with a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar.

In a large bowl, use a spatula to cream together the softened butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

Add the ground nuts and mix again until uniform.

Add the egg and salt, and finally fold in the sifted all-purpose flour in several additions.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape it into a flat rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer for 1 hour.

Roll out the chilled dough into a 1 cm thick rectangle.

Cut into 2x2 cm squares (or portion into ~5-gram pieces) and roll into balls.

Arrange the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them.

Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (340°F) for 12-13 minutes.