She Strengthens

Spicy Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies: A Game-Changer for Your Holiday Cookie Tray

Get ready to elevate your holiday cookie game with these extraordinary spicy hazelnut chocolate chip cookies, inspired by Nik Sharma’s “Season” cookbook. The combination of ground hazelnut meal, hazelnut extract, and bittersweet chocolate creates a rich, velvety flavor profile that will leave you wanting more.

The Magic of Hazelnut and Chocolate

Hazelnut and chocolate are a match made in heaven, and when combined with the warmth of ginger and a spicy kick from freshly ground black pepper, the result is truly exceptional. The rough-chopped chocolate adds a delightful texture, with varying sizes of pools and chunks of gooey goodness throughout the cookies.

A Recipe Worth Trying

To make these show-stopping cookies, you’ll need:

• 2 cups hazelnut meal or flour
• 1 cup packed jaggery or muscovado sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon hazelnut extract or vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao)
• 1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Bringing It All Together

In a large bowl, whisk together the hazelnut meal, jaggery, baking powder, baking soda, black pepper, and salt. Add the egg, melted butter, hazelnut extract (or vanilla extract), chocolate, and ginger, and stir until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into twelve equal parts, shape into balls, and flatten into 2-inch rounds. Place the rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Baking to Perfection

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and bake one batch of cookies at a time until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

More Holiday Cookie Inspiration

Looking for more ideas to impress your friends and family? Check out our Cornflake Macaroons with Chocolate Drizzle recipe and our Butterscotch Potato Chip Cookies recipe for inspiration. And don’t forget to equip yourself with the essential baking tools you need for a successful cookie-making session.