Our cookie bake off begins with a wonderful recipe from our guest, Linda Martino's Mezza Luna Biscotti (half-moon shaped hazelnut cookies):

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ cup hazelnuts, finely ground
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• icing sugar

Method:

Add flour and hazelnuts into a mixing bowl. Whisk together, then set it aside.

In another bowl, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg.

Blend together until fully incorporated. Add dry mixture into wet. Blend.

Take 1 tbsp batter, roll into ball, place on ungreased baking sheet, rolling into a nice, plump log shape. Pinch the ends.

Bake in oven at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or until the outside of the cookies is hard.

Remove from oven. Allow to cool, then sprinkle with icing sugar.

Tasty recipes don't come any easier than this!