Hazelnut molasses cookies

A few weeks ago I posted the below instagram picture of my second trial batch of these cookies. It got quite the response on my Facebook, with some people even requesting the recipe. I wonder, is this the sign that one has finally 'made it' in the food bloggers sphere? Or is it simply a case that people just love chocolate cookies? My guess is the latter, which is OK by me because there's a lot to love about these dangerously addictive, densely rich and beautifully chewy rounds of cooked dough.

For starters, they're completely vegan. Big tick in my book! They're also lower in sugar and incredibly satiating. You really only need one to fix your sweet tooth craving. If you can stop at one that is. Personally, I couldn't even wait for them to cook, which might explain why only three quarters of my third batch of dough actually made it to the oven...

Hazelnut molasses cookies and a sweet adventures blog hop
Makes 8 large cookies

150g hazelnut meal
1/2 cup spelt flour + extra for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2  teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, roughly chopped

1/3 cup organic blackstrap molasses*
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup nut milk (I used almond milk)

Instructions

Pre heat the oven to 180 centigrade.

In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients until well combined.

Add the molasses, coconut oil and almond milk and stir to combine, making sure to break up any chunks of flour that you find. You don't want any dry bits in this mixture.

This mixture will be quite sticky so make sure to have plenty of extra spelt flour nearby. Dust your hands with flour and roll mixture into large balls (about a dessert spoon full). Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, giving plenty of room between each ball to allow the cookies to grow. Flatten them down with your finger tips and then pop in the oven to bake.

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Wait until the cookies are completely cool before storing in an airtight container.

*Blackstrap molasses can be found at health food stores. If you've never worked with molasses before, be warned it is very sticky. You'll need to use a spatula to scrape as much as it from the measuring cup as possible.