Flourless Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

I made us some cookies.
I know, how kind of me.
It started as a quest for cookies that tasted like Nutella, if, say, you were the type of person who may or may not have bragged with his 7-year old niece that he could bake any cookie ever known to mankind. Including, but not limited to, a “cookie that’s as awesome as Nutella but does not have Nutella in it!”

I began with hazelnuts (obvs) and chocolate (in the form of cocoa powder and dark chocolate).
Some sweetener, a couple of eggs and then, and then I stopped because there was nothing more needed.
That’s basically how these Flourless Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies came to life.
Cookies that are so good, the first time you bite into one of ‘em you’ll be like “Are these made with Nutella?” The answer is, of course, no.
Cookies that are flour-free and made with a bunch of good ingredients, but more importantly they are amazing, chewy, and so hazelnutty and chocolatey you’re just going to fall in love with them.

These cookies are the real deal: slightly crisp on the outside, chewy, and dense. One cookie goes a long way. Trust.

Flourless Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies                                                                      Print this recipe!
Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients
Makes 18 cookies

2 cups raw hazelnuts
1 teaspoon coconut oil (or butter)
¼ teaspoon fine grain salt
⅔ cup granulated sweetener of your choice (I used coconut sugar)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 oz dark chocolate, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place a rack in the middle.
Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring once.
Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple of minutes.
Pour them in a clean kitchen towel, close into a bundle and give an energetic massage, this will (partially) skin the hazelnuts.
Transfer the hazelnuts to the bowl of a food processor and process for about 10 minutes or until a hazelnut butter forms. You might need to stop the food processor from time to time and scrape the sides.
Once it’s creamy add coconut oil and salt and process for another minute.
Stop the food processor and let the hazelnut butter rest for a couple of minutes.

Add sweetener of choice, vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk. Process until well combined and a dough starts to form.
Transfer to a medium bowl and add cocoa. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Finally stir in chopped dark chocolate.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop two heaping tablespoon of dough and roll into 1½-inch balls, place on the lined baking sheet and flatten the dough with the palm of your hands.
Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on rack.

Nutrition facts

One cookie yields 171 calories, 12 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of protein.