Ingredients

Dough:
1/3 cup hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon mint extract

Decoration:
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar
Fresh small mint leaves, washed and patted dry

Directions

To prepare the dough: Place the hazelnuts in a small baking pan and toast in a preheated 350-degree oven about 10 minutes, until the skins start to crack. Cool and rub the nuts together to remove as much of the skins as possible. Grind finely in a food processor.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or grease and flour the sheets. Set aside.

Sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Stir in the hazelnuts. With an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the mint extract. On low speed add the flour mixture in 2 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl; beat until thoroughly combined.

With floured hands roll the dough, 1 teaspoon at a time, into balls and drop 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time 12 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to racks to cool.

To prepare the icing: Combine the chocolate and butter in a small glass bowl and place in a saucepan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl. Place over medium-low heat; stir occasionally until almost melted. Whisk in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar.

With a small spatula or table knife drop a round of icing about 1/2-inch wide in the center of each cookie. Set a small mint leaf slightly off center in the icing to anchor it. Refrigerate the cookies until ready to serve.

Makes 40 cookies; approximate preparation time 40 minutes.

Each cookie contains 285 calories; 26 gm fat; 2 mg sodium; 15 mg cholesterol.