Before embarking on my present day gluten-free diet, my favourite cookies were Maryland Cookies especially the Chocolate Chip and Hazelnut ones. Armed with the knowledge I have today, I understand why I could munch my way through almost a whole packet in one sitting, sugar is addictive.
Made with ground almonds, dessicated coconut and hazelnuts and a natural sweetener, these moreish cookies are packed full of nutrients. Try to choose the darkest chocolate you can find, in these I used 70% dark chocolate drops but you can use any chocolate chopped into chunks, in fact this recipe is ideal for using leftover odd pieces of chocolate.
Chocolate Chip and Hazelnut Cookies GF (Makes about 12)
110g ground almonds
15g organic dessicated coconut (no sweetener added)
35 - 40g dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs
25g hazelnuts
60ml honey or maple syrup
40ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (alcohol, water and vanilla only)
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
Set the oven to 150°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Measure out the ground almonds and dessicated coconut into a bowl. Add the bicarbonate of soda and salt and whisk well with a balloon whisk or fork. To roast the hazelnuts, heat a pan over a low light, add the nuts and roast for a couple of minutes, shaking the pan regularly, until slightly browned.
Pour into a processor and chop but not too finely.
