The deep hazelnut flavor of these chocolate blooms is delectable. With a few ingredients, these are so easiest thumbprint cookies to make. Gluten-free, Paleo.
Sometimes I remember how I used to eat spoons full of Nutella. Urhhh.... I knew it was not good for me, but I couldn't help myself.... I have always LOVED chocolate and hazelnuts together! My love for hazelnuts started at an early age and I remember how my mom would help me crack the hazelnut shells during the christmas holidays. It wasn't until I made my own "Nutella" at home that I discovered the true taste of chocolate and hazelnuts together. This recipe I posted a few months ago for Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread is by far my favorite.
The deep hazelnut flavor of these cookies is delectable. With just a few ingredients, these are also some of the easiest cookies to make. They are packed with ground roasted hazelnuts and each cookie is also rolled in chopped hazelnuts, which brings out the flavor of these nuts even more. I decided to shape each cookie with a dent in the center so that I could fill them with a creamy chocolate ganache. The ganache creates a moist sensation that combines perfectly with the cookie. I hope you enjoy these as much as my friends and family did.
Recipe
Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ⅓ cup blanched hazelnuts, *
- ¼ cup blanched hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
- ¾ cup blanched almond flour
- 4 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch fine himalayan salt
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons raw honey, or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon hazelnut extract, or vanilla extract
Filling:
- ¼ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut cream, or pastured butter**
Instructions
Cookies:
- Pulse ⅓ cup of hazelnuts in your food processor until finely ground.
- In a large bowl, mix the ground hazelnuts, blanched almond flour, raw cacao powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey, and hazelnut extract.
- Using a rubber spatula, mix dry and wet ingredients together just until combined.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in the chopped hazelnuts.
- Place balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and press your thumb into the center of each ball to make an indentation.
- Bake at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes. Immediately upon removal, press down the center of each cookie and set baking sheet on a wire rack to cool.
Filling:
- Melt chocolate chips slowly in a bowl over simmering water (double boiler).
- Stir coconut cream (or butter) with the melted chocolate until smooth.
- Spoon or pipe the chocolate into the center of each cookie and serve.
Notes
**Coconut cream - cream that forms on the top of a can of full fat coconut milk when left in the fridge overnight. Recipe makes about 14 cookies.
