xmas 2022 - gluten free Roasted Almond and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

xmas 2022 - gluten free Roasted Almond and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

• 22 Dec 2022

Today's Christmas cookie box recipe is for these salt flecked gluten free roasted almond and chocolate chunk cookies, slightly adapted from an Aran Goyoaga recipe. If you've not read or heard about Aran, she is the queen of gluten free baking.

The cookies use buckwheat flour and almond meal instead of regular flour. The cookies can be made directly after mixing but I prefer to refrigerate my cookie dough overnight before baking.

Here’s the recipe for you which makes 15 cookies, adapted from an Aran Goyaga recipe. For all my recipes I use a 250 ml cup, a 20 ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60 g eggs. My oven is a conventional oven so if you have a fan-forced oven you may need to reduce the temperature by 20°C. 

Roasted Almond and Chocolate Chunk Cookies – makes 15 cookies 

Ingredients

Scant ½ cup (120g) almond butter

55g unsalted butter or dairy-free butter, room temperature

Scant ½ cup (100g) caster sugar 

¼ cup (55g) light brown sugar 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1 large egg 

¾ cup (105g) light buckwheat flour 

1½ tbs (12g) almond meal 

½ tsp sea salt flakes 

½ tsp bicarb soda 

90g 70% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided 

90g roasted and salted almonds, coarsely chopped, divided

Flaky sea salt (optional) 

Method

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the almond butter, butter, caster sugar and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until creamy and light, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and the egg then beat until combined. 

In a small bowl, stir together both flours, the salt and bicarb soda. Add to the mixer and beat until it nearly comes together. Add about three quarters of the chopped almonds and chocolate and continue beating until combined. The dough will be sticky and spread a bit. The cookies can be baked right after mixing however I wrapped the dough in plastic wrap then refrigerated the dough overnight. 

The following day preheat oven to 190°C, conventional. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Portion out 40g of dough per cookie (about 1½ tbs of mixture). You should be able to make 15 cookies. Place 6 cookies onto a tray, as the cookies will spread. Dot the tops of the cookies with some of the remaining chopped almonds and chocolate chunks. Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt on top.

Bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown but the centre still appears soft, 9 to 12 minutes. The tops will puff up slightly. I like to bake one tray of cookies at a time and I rotate the tray mid bake to ensure even browning. Cool the cookies on the baking tray until you can lift them without falling apart, at least 10 minutes. Repeat with the second tray then bake the remaining 3 cookies on the now cool first baking tray. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

I found the flavour of the buckwheat flour a little intense and next time I'd swap some of it for GF plain flour. Otherwise the cookies were easy to make, baked up well and were very tasty and best of all, my friends loved them.

See you all again tomorrow with my last Christmas cookie recipe.

Bye for now,

Jillian