Chewy Hazelnut Cookies

It has been ages since I have done a traditional week where I bake on Thursday evening and then take cookies to work on Friday. This is the week! We were having visitors at the library, and I wanted to make something great. I also wanted to take into consideration dietary restrictions. While I didn’t know anything about the dietary needs of our visitors, I knew that I wanted to make cookies that are both gluten and dairy free.

I have talked about this a little, but some items are easy to replace. Vegan butter works well in most recipes. Milk is usually used in very small quantities, and there are multiple soy/almond/oat milk options out there. Gluten free flour works well, but you need to be thoughtful, as a cookie that is expected to rise significantly isn’t the right choice. The hardest for this recipe was that the recipe called for Nutella, which contains dairy. I could make my own or buy one of the dairy free versions out on the market. I ended up using Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut and Almond Butter, which is dairy free.

I try to be as careful as possible when doing dairy or gluten free baking. I have specific measuring cups I use for gluten free flour, and I wear gloves to help with any allergens. As careful as I am, I do bake with gluten and dairy, so it helps to be careful. Cookies with dairy and gluten free ingredients tend to be softer and act a little differently, so it’s ok to adapt. I ended up flattening the cookies as they didn’t change while they baked, but that was fine. They are soft but have a good chocolate/hazelnut flavor without being too sweet.

Chewy Hazelnut Cookies
1 ½ cups flour (or gluten free flour)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegan butter, room temperature
⅔ cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup dairy free chocolate hazelnut spread
Chopped Hazelnuts

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside. In a large mixer bowl, combine the vegan butter and sugar and beat on medium until light. Add the egg, non-dairy milk, and vanilla and stir on medium to combine. Add the chocolate hazelnut spread and mix on low to combine. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture and stir until incorporated.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about two hours.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Shape the dough into 1-1/4” balls and roll in the chopped hazelnuts. Flatten the cookies slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the cookies are set. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Country Cleaver