Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies

I wanted to use up some of my homemade nutella in a cookie, and since my husband loves anything and everything chocolate, I thought I'd make nutella sandwich cookies.  And instead of a peanut butter cookie, I substituted homemade hazelnut butter in for the peanut butter (see previous post).

Recipe notes to consider:

Although not the healthiest recipe, it is dairy-free and gluten-free, with the option to use coconut palm sugar or raw cane sugar in lieu of brown and white sugars.  You can also make this cookie vegan by swapping in a chia or flax-meal "egg".
Also, as these were for the hubby, not me, I used xanthan gum which helps the texture imitate that of a gluten flour.  They will still work if omitted, though the texture may be slightly crumbly.  I personally cannot consume xanthan gum, and do not recommend it for those will food allergies or who are extremely sensitive to corn.


Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:

scant 1 cup coconut palm sugar or organic raw cane sugar
1/2 cup hazelnut or other nut butter
1/2 cup nondairy butter, such as Earth Balance or coconut butter
1 egg
1-1/4 cup gluten-free flour such as Bob's Red Mill
optional 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup raw cacao homemade nutella or chocolate frosting of your choice

Directions:

1.  In a mixing bowl, beat sugar, nut butter, and softened nondairy butter or butter substitute.

2.  While mixing, beat in the egg.

3.  Fold in sifted gluten-free flour, baking soda, powder and sea salt.

4.  Chill dough in fridge 30 minutes to an hour to firm a little.

5.  Roll into little balls, then flatten into discs on a cookie sheet greased or lined with parchment paper.  Optional: take a fork and use the tines to create little "hashtags" ;) The little fork marks will be more prominent if dipped in additional sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden at the edges, and let cool a few minutes before removing from the pan.  

Once the cookies are fully cooled, spread your nutella between two cookies of identical size.  There you have it: two fragrant, creamy and chocolately hazelnut cookies in one.  Paired with a hazelnut latte might be the most amazing thing ever--give it a try!

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