To prepare baci di dama (Hazelnut cookies), start with the shortbread dough. Pour the soft but still firm cubed butter and sugar 1 into the bowl of a stand mixer with a flat beater. Mix a few seconds at low speed until the dough is well combined. Add the almond flour 2 and turn on the mixer again. Pour the egg whites into a bowl, add the salt 3 and dissolve it.

Pour everything into the batter 4 . As soon as it's well mixed, turn off the machine and add the already sifted flour 5 . Continue to mix at low speed, clearing the edges of the mixer bowl with a spatula every few seconds. As soon as the flour has been absorbed, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Add a light layer of flour on the top 6

And pat it down without kneading. Cover the dough with plastic wrap 7 and put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Then, transfer it to a slightly floured surface. Using two pastry rulers, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to an even thickness of about ½" ( 1 cm) 8 . Trim the first edge, then cut strips about 1" (2 cm) long using a pastry ruler and a knife 9 .

Create the grid by making the other side 1" (2 cm) wide strips 10 , obtaining cubes of about .2 oz (4-5 g) each. Make them into balls in the palm of one hand 11 and place them on a drip pan lined with baking paper, spaced apart 12 . With these amounts, you should get about 250 balls.

Bake in a static oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 12 minutes. As soon as the cookies are golden, take them out and let them cool down 13 . Now soften the chocolate and put it inside a baking paper cone. Turn one half of the half spheres upside down 14 and squeeze some chocolate in the center 15

And put on top of another half sphere 16 , lightly pressing them together 17 . Repeat this operation for all the cookies and let them solidify before enjoying them 18 . If the air temperature is too hoot, put the baci di dama in the refrigerator.