I’ve long been a fan of nut flours, especially almond and hazelnut — they’re rich without being overly oily (more oil content would weigh down your baked goods), they have a lower glycemic load than flours made of grains, and their flavors seem to be a good match with darn near anything. Lately, though, I started wondering if toasting nuts and then grinding them into flour would be an even tastier option. I’m happy to say that yes, it is! Toasting nuts also results in a more prominent nutty flavor, which in this case pairs beautifully with the chocolate. It’s also true that chopping and then toasting and then grinding the nuts is a lot more work than just grinding them or purchasing pre-ground nut flour, but the result is well worth the effort. Besides, you can toast and grind a large batch of nuts at once and then stash it in the fridge for future use!
Chocolate-Chip Cookies with Toasted Hazelnut Flour
Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
At least 3.5 oz. hazelnuts (or more if you’d like to have extra flour to use in future baked goods)
3/4 cup buckwheat flour*
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 stick butter, preferably from grass-fed cows
1/2 cup sucanat
1 egg, preferably from pastured hens
3.5 oz. dark chocolate, preferably 75% or higher (I used 88%)
Chop the hazelnuts, then place them in a large skillet over medium heat. Dry-toast for 5 to 10 minutes or until they’re turning golden-brown and fragrant. If they seem to be scorching, reduce heat to medium-low. Transfer to a plate and let cool completely. Once they’ve cooled, use a coffee grinder to grind the toasted nuts into meal. You’ll need 1 cup of hazelnut meal for the cookies; any leftover meal can be refrigerated and included in other baked goods or as a garnish on everything from salads to soups.
Preheat oven to 350F and cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the hazelnut flour, buckwheat, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter for 2 minutes or until it’s light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sucanat. Add the egg and beat again, then stir in the chopped chocolate.
Using a regular teaspoon, shape the dough into bite-sized balls about 1″ in diameter and arrange them on the cookie sheets, making about 5 rows of 4 cookies each (or the reverse). I like to make the first sheet and get it in the oven, then make the second sheet while the first is baking. You’ll need to do a total of 4 sheets. (Use the first sheet for the third batch — the first batch of cookies will be cool enough slide off onto a plate to finish cooling so you can reuse the sheet. Shape the third sheet while the second batch bakes. You can shape the fourth sheet while the third one bakes.)
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are crisp and lightly browned on the bottom. Cool the cookies on wire racks. Completely cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 2 weeks.
Enjoy!
*This is a gluten-free flour. If you’d prefer to make wheat-based cookies, use 3/4 cup of kamut, spelt, barley, or whole-wheat flour.
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