Salted Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies

I've had four snow days in the past two weeks. Luckily, I've spent my extra time off pursuing an admirable goal: baking the ultimate grain-free chocolate chip cookie.

My quest began when I saw these soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies on Alexandra's Kitchen. Alexandra's blog is one of my favorites. Everything she makes is mouthwatering, and I love her detailed tips and stunning, perfectly lit photographs. Basically, I'm a huge fan.

I had to have those cookies.

With a caveat, of course: I wanted them to be paleo-friendly and grain-free.

I've made paleo cookies before and thoroughly enjoyed them, but they weren't the kind of cookies that could blow regular, gluten-containing cookies out of the water.  They didn't have the holy grail: the perfect combination of crunch and chewiness.

I set out to find some grain-free cookies that fit the bill--cookies that were crisp around the edges, but chewy and a tiny bit underbaked in the center.

After a few tries, I'm happy to report a great success!  These are by far the best cookies I've ever made, gluten-free or otherwise.  A few important tweaks make them extra special.  Hazelnut flour adds a wonderful nutty flavor and some extra texture to the cookies--like what oatmeal does in an oatmeal cookie, but more subtle (and more delicious). Using giant chocolate chips makes the chocolate flavor and texture stand out. Baking the cookies for a shorter time, until they're still a little gooey in the middle like Alexandra recommends, ensures that chewy center. The cookies continue to cook a bit on the baking sheet after they come out of the oven. (Don't move them until they're fully cooled or disaster may ensue.) Lastly, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt makes the flavor of the cookies really pop.

Snow day or not, I hope you find time to give these cookies a try!

Salted Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies

Yield: 16-18 cookies

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling time

Bake time: 12 minutes

Ingredients (inspired by Alexandra's Kitchen):

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup raw sugar (coconut sugar should work, too)

2 large egg whites, at room temperature*

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cups lightly packed almond flour

3/4 cup lightly packed hazelnut flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons tapioca flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup super cookie chips or roughly chopped dark chocolate**

*Looking for a home for your yolks? I recommend ice cream (perhaps double strawberry or mocha pistachio). You could even make ice cream sandwiches with these cookies...

**I know people's preferred chip-to-cookie ratios vary, and think I fall toward the "more cookie" end of the spectrum. Add more chips if you're so inclined!

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 3 minutes.  Add the egg whites and vanilla and beat on high speed until lightened in color and texture (you will still see some granules of sugar), about five minutes.

Whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a large bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer with the wet ingredients and beat just until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate by hand.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment. Use a small ice cream or cookie scoop (or a tablespoon measure) to portion out balls about the size of golf balls. Place the balls about two inches apart on the baking sheet. 

Bake for about 12 minutes, until browned around the edges and barely set on top.  Sprinkle the cookies with a little flaky sea salt while they are still hot. Cool completely on the baking sheet.

This cookie dough keeps well in the refrigerator for up to four days, so you can bake a few cookies at a time.  I have not yet tried freezing it.

Used in this recipe:

        

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase on Amazon after clicking one of my links, I receive a small commission (the price you pay is not affected). Thank you so much for supporting my blog!