Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies

If you were to ask me while I was pregnant what I would be eating and baking repeatedly in the weeks after I gave birth to my second, I would’ve guessed I’d be munching on the chocolate chip cookies I froze before she was born. And I did do that the first week or two, but then I started needing something a bit more substantial than your basic cookie. I wanted all the chocolate (dark, of course) but in a cookie that had a filling quality to it. Something that would sit in my belly for longer than ten minutes, and give me more stamina for baby+toddler care.

So when I had the chance to bake something (you know, those precious 20 minutes when dad held her and the toddler was napping) I made cookies, but instead of sticking with ap flour, I threw in a ton of almond meal. And then I made them again, and again, and again (and this is a testament to how easy and quick these come together – considering I barely have time to wash my hair these days!)… and we all found ourselves just loving them.

They do not at all taste like a ‘healthy’ cookie (a cookie never should imo!) and yet, they are full of nutritional nuttiness which complements the chocolate so well. The texture is chewy (always) and the dough makes for a cookie that has more character than your average ccc. It took me about 4 tries to perfect the ratios (and to get proper photos because, argh! fussy newborn!) and so I know you will love these as much as I do.

Almond Flour Chocolate Chunk Cookies

ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup brown sugar,
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups almond meal
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons
• 200g chopped chocolate (7oz)

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a bowl with a hand mixer, cream the melted butter and sugars for a good 5 minutes until it’s well-combined.
2. Add the vanilla and salt, cream for another minute.
3. Add the egg, combine.
4. Add the baking soda, almond meal and ap flour and mix to just combine.
5. Fold in the chocolate.
6. Set dough in fridge to set for about 2 hours.
7. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
8. Drop in 1.5-2 tablespoons onto cookie sheets.
9. Bake for 10 minutes.