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Flourless Mocha Hazelnut Crunch Cookies

So here’s the deal:
Flourless Mocha Hazelnut Crunch Cookies
Usually I turn my nose up at any and all baked goods recipes that advertise things like “flourless” or “gluten-free”.  Or heaven forbid we make cookies sans the butter. There’s a time and place for healthy foods and in my book, cookies are not it. I should go ahead and insert my disclaimer here and let you know that I am in no way, shape, or form advocating that these cookies are healthy. They are cookies. But they ARE without flour and butter, and they are still super amazing.

Flourless Mocha Hazelnut Crunch Cookies

I also feel like maybe I should apologize a little bit because I think this is basically my 4th or 5th post in a row with cookies headlining. My theory is that if I hold out and post all the cookie recipes in two more weeks when the whole world is trying to be on a crash carb-free sugar-free cookie-free diet then everyone would probably be kind of mad at me. And since I’ll likely be on that bandwagon I would probably be mad at myself. What I’m saying is, the week before Christmas seems to hold some golden cookie opportunities and I am taking full advantage.

Flourless Mocha Hazelnut Crunch Cookies

My littlest guy has his Christmas party for school coming up this Wednesday. I was assigned to bring… yes. You guessed it. Cookies.

Last year I think he and I cranked out some pretty pepperminty North Pole Cupcakes that he shared with his class while they loafed around in their jammies watching The Polar Express and drinking hot cocoa. I’m pretty sure Evan is my biggest fan, as evidenced by this photo:

So when he came home today wielding a paper from his school and looking thoroughly disappointed I knew something was up. New policy: Only store-bought goodies allowed. Evan was pretty much pissed about it. He wrote NO COOKIES in big bold letters at the bottom of the paper followed by a great big ‘ol frown.

I have to say that since I’ve donated baked goods to Every. Single. Class. Party. that my boys have ever had, been solicited to bake cupcakes to sell at school bake sales, and always bake something to be won for their Fall Festival Cake Walk, I think that this is kind of a silly rule. The ingredients listed on the cookie packages found in the grocery store bakery look like this: monosodiamadeupchemicalcrappiness. Ingredients in my [normal] cookie recipes look like this: butter, sugar, flour…

I can’t really figure out how theirs could possibly be better for the kiddies, but whatever.

Flourless Mocha Hazelnut Crunch Cookies

My kids know me, and they know me WELL because after reading the paper Evan promptly told his teacher that his mom would probably not be going to the store to buy cookies. Apparently she was pretty bummed out about the no-home-baked-goods rule as well (but don’t worry Evan’s teacher! I made you cookies!). So after school today Evan and I made cookies while Andrew straight up vegged out.

These flourless babies were a weekend experiment that stemmed from the want to bake and the desire to NOT go grocery shopping. Also awhile back I bought this JIF Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino Spread and have been looking for ways to incorporate it into stuff without just straight up eating it off the back of a spoon. You might remember these Mini Mocha Cappuccino Cheesecakes from about a month ago? Anyway, these cookies were IT. No butter, no flour. Just hazelnut spread, peanut butter, and chocolate— and pretzel pieces for some salty crunch. You will not be disappointed.

Flourless Mocha Hazelnut Crunch Cookies

And now I need to brainstorm about how NOT to disappoint a bunch of little kids. What’s a Christmas party without cookies, am i right?

Flourless Mocha Hazelnut Crunch Cookies

Flourless Mocha Hazelnut Crunch Cookies
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 36
Ingredients
  • ½ cup Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino Spread (or something similar like Nutella)
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate chips
  • ½ cup broken salted pretzel pieces
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350.
  2. In a large bowl beat together the mocha spread, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and baking soda.
  3. Stir in the chocolate chips and pretzel pieces.
  4. Roll the dough into 1½-inch balls and space them about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
  5. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Let them cool slightly before removing from the cookie sheet to cool completely.

slightly adapted from THIS recipe at Sweet Tooth Sweet Life

Flourless Mocha Hazelnut Crunch Cookies
What are you baking for Christmas parties? Got any kiddie favorites? How about ideas for how to cleverly circumvent the rules?

Rate this recipe:  

Meenakshi

Wednesday 17th of April 2013

These are brilliant!! I have some leftover Nutella so I'm definitely trying this one out.

Heather

Wednesday 17th of April 2013

Yay! These cookies are super easy. Let me know how you like them!

hopefuladdict

Sunday 30th of December 2012

Only store bought? That's intense, I'm guessing it's because of kids with peanut allergies? Who knows, all I know is I want to go to the bake sales you're serving at hahahahahahaha These look awesome and that picture is so precious!!!!!!! He's so proud of you!!!!

Molly @ Toffee Bits and Chocolate Chips

Thursday 20th of December 2012

No homemade treats at school! Sad day! That was always one of my highlights growing up when my mom would make cookies for me to bring. I'm sure your son feels the same way!

Heather

Thursday 20th of December 2012

Oh man it was SUCH a bummer. My kids love bringing treats to school... the little one was sad, but I gave him extra cookies in his lunchbox. We worked it out.

thepinkrachael

Tuesday 18th of December 2012

Sad sad times :( I LOVE it when the kids bring homemade cakes and biscuits (ahem!) for our class parties - store bought are nowhere near as good! In my last school in england it all went to "Everything Must Be Store Bought!!" and I think it came from nut allergies - because people couldn't be SURE what was in homemade, they wanted the packets to check there were no nuts. In my school now, it's more sensible - we tell the parents not to put nuts in anything, everyone follows this, no one dies. (I mean, if I had a nut allergy kid I might pay a bit more attention, but since my little lovelies are all ok anyway, even easier!) As for weeks of cookie posting - I for one entirely love it! Keep it going! I hope you find a way around the store only cookie rule...(and I hope Evan enjoys his christmas party either way - pjs, cocoa and a film sounds like a BRILLIANT end of term to me!)

eatwilmington

Tuesday 18th of December 2012

So, once again I come up for air from tying all those bows and you are killing me with cookies. But I can do these - with all that protein and no flour I am dubbing them guilt-free! Now to find someone to make them for me;-). I heard about this store-bought-only phenomenon in the schools. More expensive, lousy tasting, and packed with preservatives - yup, that'll be better for the kiddies.