Method

• 1.
  For the dough, place toasted hazelnuts and flour in a food processor and whiz until hazelnuts are the size of sesame seeds. Add remaining ingredients and 1/2 tsp fine salt, then pulse until dough comes together in a crumbly mass. Shape dough into a ball, then flatten to a fat disc. Enclose in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• 2.
  Remove dough from fridge and allow it to soften a little at room temperature to become malleable. Halve the dough disc and roll the first piece on a floured piece of baking paper until 4mm thick. Brush off any excess flour. Using two plates as a guide, cut out a 24cm circle, then cut a 12cm circle from the centre of the first circle (we offset the inner circle a little).
• 3.
  Remove dough offcuts, lightly squeeze together to smooth, then combine with the remaining dough piece. Roll remaining dough on a floured piece of baking paper to 3mm thick. Grease 3 baking trays and line with baking paper. Use 8cm and 4cm star cutters to cut out 20 x 8cm stars and 10 x 4cm stars, re-rolling dough as needed.
• 4.
  Arrange cut stars on the prepared trays. Stamp a small 1.5cm hole in the centre of 10 of the large stars – these will become jammy ‘peek-a-boo’ cookie tops. Preheat oven to 160°C/140ºC fan- forced. Bake the stars and the wreath circle at the same time – the stars will take 30-40 minutes and the wreath circle around 50 minutes – until both are medium brown in colour. When the wreath circle has finished baking, turn oven off and slide the stars back into the oven, with door closed, to cool down slowly and make the cookies a little firmer. Once cooled, assemble the cookies.
• 5.
  Heat the jam and strain (see notes). Lay the large whole star cookies, base-side up, on a tray and smear with a thin layer of jam. Place the stars with holes on top and fill the hole with an extra dab of jam.
• 6.
  Mix icing sugar and milk in a small bowl until combined. Spoon into a small zip-lock bag and snip off a small corner with scissors. Pipe around edges of several biscuits. Dust tops with icing sugar. Carefully slide the wreath base onto a flat serving board. Arrange large stars around the wreath then set a few of the small ones on top at intervals. Serve.