When I first decided to try my hand at doing some Christmas baking in addition to that which my mother did, this was one of the first recipes I attempted.   It proved so successful that it has been made pretty well every year since.
        There is nothing inherently Christmassy about hazelnut shortbread; but cutting it with Christmas cookie cutters lends a seasonal air.   Initially, I made the cookies in a variety of shapes, even plain round ones; but I have been using only a Christmas-tree cutter to make them for so many years now that I have come to associate that shape exclusively with this particular flavour.

Ingredients

Directions

Making the Dough
Let the butter warm to room temperature before starting.   Cream it.   Beat in the sugar, and then the egg yolk.   Stir in the flour and ground hazelnuts, mixing until the ingredients are completely combined.

Further Preparation
Dust a clean flat surface (such as a kitchen counter) with flour.   Roll the dough out to about an eighth of an inch thick using a rolling pin.   Cut it into Christmas tree shapes with a cookie cutter.
        Cover two large baking sheets with aluminum foil, grease them, and dust them with flour.   Place the cookies on the sheets, spacing them out a bit so that they don't touch when they bake.

Baking
Bake at 350°F for ten to twelve minutes, until a light golden brown.   Let cool on a wire rack, and then remove from the cookie sheet.

Makes about three dozen cookies.