Hazelnut Cookies {Vegan & Gluten-Free} & A Bob’s Red Mill Giveaway

A friend recently asked me for a gluten-free recipe for cookies.  When asked what kind, he said, I don’t know…something nutty…or maybe chocolaty; definitely something that goes well with coffee!  I aim to please, and these cookies are all of the above.

Bob’s Red Mill Hazelnut Meal 

I used hazelnut meal instead of flour in these, which I recently received from the wonderful people at Bob’s Red Mill; actually, these cookies are all kinds of nutty (with hazelnut meal, tahini, and peanut butter).  I love using tahini in desserts for its nutty, slightly bitter flavor that I think adds a great balance to sweets, and pairs so well with coffee.  And speaking of coffee, I used just a little bit in these cookies (which you can omit if you prefer), but it’s just barely detectable here and really only adds depth of flavor; chocolate chips make the perfect finishing touch.

The texture of these cookies is really unique.  They are dense and sandy, almost like shortbread, but not dry and brittle like shortbread…they are much moister than I expected them to be, and even tastier the next day.  Hazelnut Cookies {Vegan & Gluten-Free}

Yields about 2 dozen cookies

1 cup hazelnut meal/flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

1 teaspoon powdered instant coffee (optional)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed*

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips**

Preheat oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner.

Whisk together the hazelnut meal, powdered coffee, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.  Mix together the tahini, peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, and then mix in the chocolate chips (the dough will be crumbly).

To form the cookies, use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop to measure out the dough; squeeze it a few times in your hand so it comes together, roll it into a ball, and then slightly flatten it.  Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, about 1 to 2 inches apart.

Bake 15 minutes; cool 10 minutes on the tray, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

*You can reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup if you prefer your sweets a little less sweet.

**Be sure to read the labeling and/or check with the manufacturer to make sure your chocolate chips are gluten-free and vegan, if this is a concern.

Along with hazelnut meal, I received raw pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast from Bob’s Red Mill (thank-you, Bob’s Red Mill!).  As with every Bob’s Red Mill product I’ve tried, I enjoyed all of these.  The hazelnut meal was a lovely addition to these cookies, and I’m inspired…I think I want to make Hazelnut Macarons next (that’s right, it’s been too long since I’ve made macs and I’ve been bitten by the bug again ;) ).  The pumpkin seeds are great for snacking or sprinkling on oatmeal, smoothies, yogurt, salads, or soups.  However, the nutritional yeast is by far the most interesting product; I’ve been dying to try it for so long!  It’s kind-of cheesy tasting, but in a savory, umami sort of way.  I used it to make a fantastic vegan “cheese” spread, which I will be sharing the recipe for soon.  (I’ve also really enjoyed nutritional yeast sprinkled on popcorn with a little sea salt!)

Vegan Pimento “Cheese” Spread, made with nutritional yeast.

For this giveaway, Bob’s Mill has generously offered to provide all of the products that I tried to one lucky winner!  The winner will receive each of the following Bob’s Red Mill products: 

1. Hazelnut Meal
2. Nutritional Yeast 
3. Raw Pumpkin Seeds

To participate in this giveaway, you can do any of the following (please leave a separate comment for each, so I can count them as separate entries):  

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite kind of cookies.
2. Tweet the following message:  Check out @AnEdibleMosaic to win a Bob’s Red Mill prize pack! https://www.anediblemosaic.com/?p=7353 #giveaways #vegan #glutenfree Please RT
3. Link to this giveaway on your Facebook page.  

This giveaway ends Sunday, November 20th at 9PM EST; after that the winner will be randomly selected and notified by email.  Good luck to all! 

Disclaimer:  I received hazelnut meal, nutritional yeast, and raw pumpkin seeds  for free from Bob’s Red Mill, and they are also providing the prize pack for this giveaway.  As always, opinions stated are my own.