These Vegan Nutella Cookies help me forget that I totally failed at Lent. I’m not religious but I do like a challenge. My Lent-alution (Lent-resolution) had been to start meditating every day for ten minutes. I managed a week. I did feel the benefits of that one week, but I didn’t properly prioritise it, and I felt quite frustrated often while I was doing it. I’m going to try going to meditation classes to see if having a guide makes it a bit easier. Lentfail.
One thing I absolutely didn’t fail on is these lovely cookies. I made a batch for a friend who has a new baby, as I wanted to give her something nourishing but delicious to snack on when she’s only got one hand free. They fit the bill perfectly – the nuts and seeds give minerals and protein, and they really do taste like Nutella, from the cocoa and ground hazelnuts. You could use an egg instead of the linseeds if you wanted.
Did you do anything different for Lent? Did you do better at it than I did?
- Egg Replacer:
- 1 heaped tablespoon linseeds (flax seeds)
- 4 tbsp water
- Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole hazelnuts
- ½ cup oats
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- Pinch sea salt
- Wet Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- flax egg replacer, see above
- more warm water as needed
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and start up your grill (broiler).
- Grind the flaxseeds in a spice grinder, then mix with the water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Remove the skins from the hazelnuts: on a baking tray, toast the hazelnuts under the grill until they begin to smell lovely and their papery skins turn a little darker. Roll the nuts in a clean tea-towel until most of their skins have come off. Don't get too hung up on removing every little bit though.
- Grind the hazelnuts to a powder in the spice grinder and add to a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of your dry ingredients and mix together with your hands. (You can attempt with a spoon if you're squeamish but it's much easier with your hands)
- Shape into ping-pong ball sized pieces and press down on a baking tray to cookie shapes. I wasn't sure if they would spread out, so I placed them very far apart but they could go closer than in the picture.
- Bake at 160 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
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