Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies

Saturday 26 November 2011

These cookies are so good.  Don’t be fooled by the picture (my stupid oven slightly overcooked them).  So good are these cookies that I couldn’t stop eating them.  I almost got on my exercise bike because I had been stuffing so many... almost.  This would have involved removing washing which was hanging on said bike and then removing a thick layer of dust from the seat and handle bars, a work out in itself.  When I set out to make these cookies I wasn’t convinced they would work.  No butter, no sugar... could they really be considered cookies?  The result was a wholesome cookie with a chewy texture and delicious bursts of thick dark chocolate which worked wonderfully with the hazelnuts.  You also get to work out your aggression while making these cookies as you can bash up the chocolate with a rolling pin.  Just make sure it doesn’t fly everywhere like mine did. 

Recipe adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson
Makes 20 – 24 cookies depending on size.
12 oz 340g mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
60ml barely warmed extra virgin coconut oil
4.25oz 120g gluten free oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
2oz 60g ground almonds
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3.5oz 100g hazelnuts or other nut of your choice
6oz 170g dark chocolate chopped in to small chunks
75oz 20g quinoa pops
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 180°C.  Line two baking sheets with baking paper.
In a mixing bowl or blender combine the bananas, vanilla and coconut oil (rather than mashing my bananas I just chucked them in the blender).  In another bowl mix together the oats, ground almonds, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.  Add the chocolate and hazelnuts followed by the quinoa pops and fold these in to the mixture.  Shape the mixture in to small balls about 1 heaped tablespoon in size and flatten to a cookie shape.  I left mine quite chunky.  Place on the baking sheets.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven, swapping the baking sheets from top to bottom half way through cooking.  Once the cookies are golden on top and bottom remove from the oven and place the cookies on a wire rack to cool.

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