Gluten Free Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

These delicious yet healthy Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies are a perfect after-school treat to stave off those hunger pangs until dinner time. Opting for gluten free alternatives can simply be a case of using a alternative to the traditional wheat flour, such as Buckwheat flour. Tasty, nutritive and easier to digest, these cookies are a winner!

Making these Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies ….

• 160g Buckwheat flour
• 75g Ground Hazelnuts
• 120ml Maple Syrup
• 80ml Coconut oil (melted)
• Pinch Sea salt

For the filling

• 125g Ground Hazelnuts
• 125g Dark Chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 150g Double Cream
• Pinch Sea Salt

Here’s how…

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

Combine the cookie ingredients in a bowl and mix well to form a firm mixture.

Take a teaspoon of the mixture at a time and roll it into a ball, before flattening slightly on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper or a silicone baking sheet.

Bake for 15mins until they are golden and crisp.

To make the chocolate spread

In a food processor, chop the dark chocolate to a fine powder.  Transfer to a saucepan and add the double cream.  Heat over a VERY gentle heat until the chocolate has melted. Do not let it boil.  Add the ground hazelnuts and mix well.

Spread a teaspoon of the chocolate filling on one cookie and top with one whole hazelnut.

[You can make the biscuits in advance and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Top with the chocolate spread when you want to serve them]

TIP: If you own a Thermomix cooking machine, you can make the Buckwheat Flour and the ground hazelnuts from the original grain and whole hazelnuts. Blitz each for 5 seconds/Speed 10.

Nutritional Nugget

Buckwheat flour is milled from the seed of a plant related to rhubarb. It’s naturally gluten-free, high in protein and fibre and a lower glycaemic index than wheat flour so much better for blood sugar balance. With its rich nutty flavour, it’s ideal to use in baking and pancakes and also tends to stay more moist than other gluten-free flours.