Chocolate and hazelnut are a no-fail pair. Topped with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and puddles of dark chocolate, it’s hard to stop after just one of these sophisticated chocolate hazelnut rye cookies!
GUISE! TODAY IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT DAY! IT’S EXACTLY 1 MONTH UNTIL CHRISTMAS! WHO IS AS ECSTATIC AS US?
If there’s one time of year that I proclaim my love for far and wide, it’s Christmas. I know that not everyone is as eager beaver as I am and don’t find it acceptable to have Christmas decor up until December 1st, but I’d say November 25th is the perfect time to start celebrations. In additional to marking the resurrection of my shedding Christmas tree (yes, it’s a fake one), I would also like to publicly declare my adoration for the puddles of dark chocolate sitting on these rye cookies. CHRISTMASTIME and PUDDLES OF DARK CHOCOLATE. There is no phrase more euphonious than that.
I’m kind of known to be the friend who gets excessively excited about Christmas starting late October. The other day I stepped off the bus and spotted a display of poinsettias inside a grocery store, leading me to instinctively yell “CHRISTMAAAAS!”, scaring my best friend in the process. My holiday playlists wait patiently in the sidebar of my Spotify app all year long and on Halloween I reason that it’s close enough to November which is close enough to December so I can ‘low-key’ begin to indulge in my Michael Buble and Pentatonix tunes. Sure maybe my logic is twisted but I’m not particularly concerned. This year, however, our favourite sushi restaurant seemed to have beat me to being ‘high-key’ ready for Christmas.
Chew is obsessed with natto rolls (she’ll start wishing for more before she even finishes her two rolls) so we went to get sushi for lunch one Sunday after church to curb her cravings. We were greeted with a fully decorated Christmas tree, string lights lining the counter, and classic Christmas music playing loudly over the speakers. Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock! It was November 5th and even I felt like it was a wee bit early to be so blatantly Christmas-ified. Just a wee bit. I’m not complaining though. Sushi and Christmas music are two of my favourite things and are even better when paired together.
Anyways, fast forward 20 days and I am so ready to spend my days twirling around the kitchen with flour all over my pajamas and my face pressed against the warm oven door (checking on my cookies, duh) then eating a few straight (okay maybe it’s best to let them cool for 10 minutes first) from the oven in front of my glistening Christmas tree. And I hope you are too because December is 100% holiday-themed recipes; expect plenty of festive baked goodies! Because let’s be real, nothing beats Christmas baking and indulgence is perfectly normal around this time of year. It’s time to live a little and glucose is essential to bodily functions. (These are the types of conversations I have with myself in my head, lol.)
Both adults and kiddos will be fighting over these cookies. The puddles of dark chocolate and toasted hazelnuts are to die for. My mother, who doesn’t usually obsess over my baking, couldn’t help but eat three cookies in one sitting. Then she proceeded to take the rest of the batch to her friend’s home for a bible study snack. The flaky Maldon sea salt adds a sprinkle (pun intended) of elegance that make these rye cookies stand out from other Christmas cookies. Whether it’s a casual cookie exchange with friends or a formal family dinner, bringing a batch of salted double chocolate hazelnut rye cookies will get everyone hunting you down for the recipe.
Please take note that rye flour contains gluten so these cookies are not gluten free. We have an assortment of other cookies in our recipe index, so sift through them HERE if you’re looking for more cookie inspiration!
- 1 tbsp ground chia seeds + 3 tbsp water
- ⅔ cup vegan margarine*
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1¼ cup oat flour**
- ½ cup rye flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped***
- ½ cup chopped dark chocolate
- Maldon salt, for topping
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, make the chia egg by mixing the ground chia seeds and water. Allow it to gel before using.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the margarine and coconut sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla, sea salt, and chia egg and mix until evenly combined.
- Add the oat flour, rye flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda and mix until a dough forms.
- Add the hazelnuts and chocolate and mix until incorporated.
- Using a cookie scoop, roll dough into balls and arrange evenly on prepared cookie sheets. Leave about 1 or 2 inches between each ball. Flatten each ball to about ¾ inch thick and sprinkle a bit of Maldon salt on top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.
**To make oat flour, grind 1¼ cups quick oats in a coffee grinder until very fine
***Roast raw whole hazelnut kernels at 275°F for 15 to 20 minutes until light golden brown and fragrant
Recipe adapted from our Best Vegan Macadamia Nut Cookies
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