Oat Chocolate Cookies with Hazelnuts
I developed these cookies during harvest, when I found myself craving chocolate but wanted something a little more sustaining. The combination of oats, chocolate and toasted hazelnuts makes them wonderfully satisfying. They are lovely with a mid-morning cup of coffee, but I discovered they are equally delicious served as dessert, with a small scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream and a glass of amaro to sip alongside.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes
Cooling time: 1 hour
Makes: Approximately 10 large cookies
Ingredients
2⁄3 cup light brown sugar
1⁄2 cup Tillamook Extra Creamy Unsalted Butter, or another premium unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1⁄4 cup honey
11⁄2 cups rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1⁄3 cup raw hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the brown sugar and softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
Add the egg, vanilla bean paste and honey, and mix until well incorporated.
Add the rolled oats, flour, chocolate chips, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
Using a large ice cream scoop, portion the dough into approximately 10 equal balls. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between each, and gently flatten each ball into a thick disc, approximately 3 inches in diameter.
Scatter the chopped hazelnuts evenly over the flattened cookies, pressing them gently into the dough with your fingertips, then finish with a light sprinkling of cinnamon.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and set, but the centers are still slightly soft.
Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely, about an hour, until the cookies have developed a satisfying crunch.