• Cream butter using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer (around 1 minute). Add sugar and vanilla and mix until pale and fluffy (medium speed, around 2 minutes)
• Add sifted flour and salt in two additions, mixing between each addition until combined and dough is formed.
• Transfer dough to a floured surface, shape into a roll and place in plastic wrap. Alternatively, split the dough in two discs and place in plastic wrap. Chill until firm (approximately 2 hours).
• Preheat the oven to 325F (162°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out dough to ¼" thickness and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter (or any cutter of choice) to cut out cookie dough.
• Place on baking sheet with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until slightly golden at the edges. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Make sure the cookies have completely cooled down before proceeding to the next step.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Dip

• Chop dark chocolate into small pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Warm in 30 second increments, stirring chocolate between each round until completely melted. In the meantime, coarsely crush hazelnuts.
• Dip each cookie half-way into melted chocolate, transfer to a cooling grid or parchment paper, and sprinkle chocolate-dipped side with crushed hazelnuts. Repeat for the rest of the batch. Make sure to add hazelnuts while the chocolate is still soft.
• Continue to cool cookies until chocolate has solidified, or chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes.