Have you been busy baking and munching on Christmas cookies? For me, the Christmas season here…in New Zealand is a bit confusing every year: singing “Jingle Bells” in sunshine and bathing weather — a strange but also special contrast
On my blog, you can already find several recipes for Christmas baked goods, such as the Super Easy Cookie Dough, Pink Chai Chocolate Cookies, Vanilla Crescent Christmas Cookies, Ginger Bread Figures, and Chocolate Glazed Cookies. All these recipes are, as always, vegan, gluten-free, and some are even sweetened only with fruit.
Now I’ve taken on a new challenge: a cookie recipe that is not only vegan and gluten-free but also completely grain-free. The base of the dough is ground hazelnuts, which together with the chocolate create a delicious flavor combination.
Vegan, gluten-free AND grain-free?
With a bit of cocoa powder and heat-stable protein powder, the typical flour can be replaced surprisingly well.
I deliberately call this Christmas treat “cookies” instead of “Plätzchen” (which is German for traditional Christmas biscuits) because their texture is rather soft — Plätzchen are usually more crispy.
Vegan Chocolate Cookies (Gluten-free, Grain-free)
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 100 g ground hazelnuts or almonds
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 30 g protein powder I use pea protein
- 1 tbsp psyllium husk ground
- 1 –2 tbsp sweetener depending on how sweet you like it
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 175 ml water
For the chocolate filling:
- 1 tbsp FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder
- 1 tsp sweetener
- 1 heaping tbsp nut butter
- 1 tbsp water possibly a bit more if needed
Glaze:
- 50 g FAIR-TRADE chocolate
- Chopped hazelnuts optional
Instructions
- Mix all the cookie ingredients except the water in a bowl.
- Then add the water and quickly stir to form a dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest in the fridge for about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate filling by mixing all ingredients well in a small bowl. Start with 1 tbsp water and add a little more carefully if needed. The consistency should be a fairly thick cream.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top/bottom heat). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- With wet hands, shape the cookies. Take a tablespoon-sized portion, flatten it slightly in your palm, spread a dollop of chocolate filling on top, and fold the dough around the filling. Then place it on the baking tray with the folded side down. Repeat until the dough and filling are used up.
- Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies start to brown lightly.
- Let the cookies cool well after baking. Carefully melt the chocolate in a bowl, using the double-boiler method. Spread some melted chocolate on each cookie and optionally garnish with chopped nuts.
- Best stored in an airtight container and consumed within 1 week.
