1-First Step: Begin by toasting your hazelnuts to bring out their full flavor potential. Spread the raw hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant and slightly browned. Watch them carefully to prevent burning. Once toasted, let them cool slightly, then rub them in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much of the skins as possible. Chop the hazelnuts into coarse pieces, leaving some larger chunks for texture. Set aside 1/4 cup of the chopped nuts for topping the cookies before baking. While the nuts are cooling, prepare your baking space. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If you only have one baking sheet, you can bake the cookies in batches. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). If your oven has hot spots, consider rotating the pans halfway through baking for even results. Gather all your measuring tools and mixing bowls to ensure everything is ready when you need it.

2-Second Step: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt until well combined. This ensures that the leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the flour, which helps the cookies bake uniformly. Set this dry mixture aside. In a separate small bowl, beat the egg lightly with the vanilla extract. This will make incorporating these wet ingredients into the dough easier and more uniform.

3-Third Step: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This process typically takes 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed, or 4-5 minutes by hand with a sturdy spoon. Creaming incorporates air into the butter, which helps create a lighter texture in the final cookies. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated. Once the butter and sugar mixture is fluffy, add the egg and vanilla mixture. Beat on low speed just until combined, being careful not to overmix, which can develop gluten and make the cookies tough. The mixture may look slightly curdled at this point, which is normal. The dry ingredients will bring it back together in the next step.

4-Fourth Step: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed or by hand just until no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as this can make the cookies tough. A few small flour streaks are better than overmixing. Once the flour is nearly incorporated, add the chopped hazelnuts (except for the reserved 1/4 cup for topping) and mix briefly to distribute them evenly throughout the dough. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but manageable. If it seems too sticky to handle, refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes to firm up slightly. This chilling period also helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking, resulting in thicker, more tender cookies. However, don’t chill for too long, or the dough will become too firm to scoop easily.

5-Fifth Step: Using a small cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon, portion the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. For perfectly uniform cookies, a small cookie scoop is highly recommended. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between them to allow for spreading. If you’re making larger cookies or if your dough has been chilled, you may need to flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand before baking. Sprinkle the reserved chopped hazelnuts and a pinch of sea salt over the top of each dough ball. This extra garnish not only looks attractive but also enhances the flavor and texture of the finished cookies. The sea salt on top creates a delightful burst of savory flavor that contrasts beautifully with the sweet cookie.

6-Sixth Step: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden but the centers still look slightly soft. Mini cookies bake faster than standard-sized ones, so keep a close eye on them during the last few minutes of baking. For softer cookies, remove them when they just start to turn golden at the edges. For crispier cookies, bake them a minute or two longer until they’re more evenly browned. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through the baking time if your oven has uneven heat distribution. This ensures all cookies bake evenly. When done, the centers should still look slightly underbaked, as they will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet after removal from the oven.

7-Final Step: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pans for 2-3 minutes. This brief resting period allows the cookies to set slightly so they maintain their shape when moved. After this initial cooling, use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. If you don’t have a wire rack, you can cool them on the baking sheet, but they may become a bit softer on the bottoms due to residual heat.