Ingredients

4 cups toasted ground hazelnuts
2 cups All-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup butter; softened
1 cup Powdered sugar
1 Egg yolk
1/2 cup chocolate chips; melted
Slivered almonds

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine hazelnuts, flour, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl.

Beat 1 cup butter, powdered sugar and egg yolk in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat at low speed until soft dough forms.

Grease 3 madeleine pans with remaining butter, 1 teaspoon per pan; dust with flour. (If only 1 madeleine pan is available, thoroughly wash, dry, regrease and flour after baking each batch. Cover remaining dough with plastic wrap; let stand at room temperature.) Press level tablespoonfuls of dough into each mold.

Bake 12 minutes or until centers are set. Let cookies stand in pan 3 minutes. Carefully loosen cookies from pan with point of small knife. Invert pan over wire rack; tap lightly to release cookies. Let stand 2 minutes. Cool completely shell-side up.

Pipe squiggle of melted chocolate on curved end of each cookie; place slivered almond halves in melted chocolate for claws. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until set.

Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of BigOven