For Christmas, I want to make Pumpkin Bars. This requires a hazelnut base that you bake first, before putting the pumpkin puree mixture in and baking again.
You are supposed to do this:
Place the [coarsely] chopped hazelnuts, flour, and salt in the bowl of your food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process the mixture until the hazelnuts are finely ground.
Not being much experienced in baking, I nevertheless gather that there is some reason you are supposed to process the 3 items together. However, I don't have a food processor.
Can someone suggest to me what sort of calamity might ensue 
if I just grind the hazelnuts finely in a little manual nut grinder, then stir them up manually with the flour & salt before adding the fat, sugar, etc. to make the base?
What would you do if you really wanted to make these bars but didn't have a food processor?
Thank you.
