We’re not kidding. This whole grain chocolate chunk hazelnut wonder was made famous by its recipe creator Kim Boyce (author of Good to the Grain, which you should own if you don’t already), is made even more sumptuous with the addition of nuts and a few variations. We love the earthiness of hazelnuts, but if walnuts or pecans are your fancy, by all means, go nuts. Use whatever chocolate you want; milk, dark, a blend, whatever. Throw what you like at this meaty wonder and let us know how yours turns out by tagging us on Instagram @GourmandiseLA.
Ingredients
1cupPacked brown sugar225 g
2Butter sticks224 g
1cupSugar200 g
2Eggs
1-1/2tspsBaking powder6 g
1tspBaking soda4 g
1tspSalt 4 g (omit if using salted butter)
1cupDark chocolate pieces170 g
1cupMilk chocolate pieces170 g
1cupChopped, toasted hazelnuts150 g
3cupsWhole grain flour390 g
Instructions
Grab the butter from the fridge (don't worry about getting it soft before you start) and cream it with the brown and white sugar until it looks fluffy using either a hand-held mixer, a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large, heavy bowl with a wooden spoon.
While still mixing, add the eggs scraping the bowl well. Continue to mix for 1 more minute, then add the chocolate and nuts, and mix until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and mix until just combined.
Shape your cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Scoop these BIG - they eat like a meal. Bake at 350° until golden brown on the edges (about 8 minutes for medium cookies and 10-12 for larger ones). These cookies can bake and cool on the cookie sheet - no need to transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
This recipe calls for whole wheat flour, but we’ve found it works best with stone-ground, whole grain flours. If you’re looking for a tall, cakey cookie, go for a hard red wheat (like Red Fife), but we love a crisp outside and chewy middle, so Rye is our flour of choice for this one. Check out the rainbow of different options (Spelt will give you the thinnest, butteriest cookie, and Hard Red and Hard White the tallest) from our favorite local miller Nan of Grist & Toll. Makes 16-24 cookies, depending on their size.You can purchase Red Fife from the Kenter Canyon stand of local farmers markets. Take a class from us and mill your own fresh bag with Millie, our little mill provided by Wieser Farms, another local wheat grower.