Chocolate & Hazelnut Butter Cookies – gluten free (with home-made hazelnut butter)

You may remember that a few weeks back I made some Dark & Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies. They were pretty delicious. But now they have been adapted and I think they are even better……….

When I made the peanut butter version, I got to thinking they would be pretty amazing adapted to use a whole array of different nut-butters. Hazelnut, almond, cashew……. maybe even pistachio, pecan and brazil nut. This is going to be a very tasty project!

But if you like Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread), then these ones are for you. Chocolate & Hazelnut Butter Cookies, made with home-made hazelnut butter. They are soft, chewy, not too sweet and very very moreish. Rich with chocolate and wonderfully nutty……….. they are shot through with sumptuous, melty chocolate chunks, which liquify on the tongue as you munch.

The hazelnut butter is surprisingly easy to make if you have a grinder. Simply roast your hazelnuts, peel off the skins and grind until they have transformed into a thick paste. I didn’t add any salt, but you could choose to add a sprinkle if you are using as a spread to replace peanut butter on toast or bread.

Completely flourless, they are naturally gluten free and once you have made your hazelnut butter, the cookies will be ready in no time at all…….. It’s pretty much a case of throw all the ingredients in a bowl, mix them together, roll into balls, and bake. But I challenge you to wait until they are cool before eating them…………. The smell from the oven is enough to make any Nutella-lover drool and the sight of warm cookies with chocolate chunks oozing out of the side is too much to walk away from.

Grab (or hide) them quick, because they will be gone in a flash!

Hazelnut Butter

Method 

Ingredients

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
2. Line 3 baking sheets with baking paper.
3. In a large bowl, weigh and mix together the sugar, cocoa, salt and bicarbonate of soda, making sure any lumps are completely broken down.
4. Add the hazelnut butter, vanilla, egg and chocolate chunks and stir through until you have a well combined and even, sticky thick paste.
5. Using either a teaspoon or a cake-pop scoop, spoon out scoops of dough and roll into soft balls. 
6. Place each ball on the baking sheets, allowing plenty of space between each for spreading.
7. Do not flatten, but take a hazelnut and place in the centre of each dough ball, gently pushing slightly into the surface.
8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, swapping trays round half way through to ensure an even bake. (slightly longer will give a crisper biscuit, less time will result in a chewy cookie)
9. Remove from the oven and leave on the baking sheets to cool, before removing to wire racks (if you can wait that long before diving in!)

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