Ingredients:
1 cup hazelnuts
1 tablespoons coconut oil
2 scoop @designsforhealth vanilla or chocolate beef protein
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (can omit if you’re using vanilla protein powder)
Sweetener of choice – to taste 2 tbsp stevia would be sufficient
Optional but highly recommended: 4 squares dark chocolate (about 1.5 oz), chopped or broken into chunks
Directions:
1. Set the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the hazelnuts and toast, stirring and shaking the pan often, until nuts are fragrant and start to brown. Do NOT burn!
3. While the nuts are still warm, transfer them to a food processor with the coconut oil. Process for a long time, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed, until you have a creamy hazelnut butter. In the interim it will be a chunky mess and you will think, “This isn’t working, it’s never going to turn into hazelnut butter”. Trust me: just keep dutifully scraping and blending and press on. You can also use store bought hazelnut butter – at the bulk barn or health food section of the grocery store
4. Blend in the Protein powder , sweetener if using, egg, cocoa powder, vanilla, baking soda, and ½ tsp salt until thoroughly incorporated. Taste and add more sweetener if you’d like. Then carefully pulse in the chocolate chunks; pulse just enough to get them incorporated.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this is KEY, otherwise they will stick). Use a heaping tablespoon to divide the dough into 6 big lumps (you’ll have a little extra cookie dough for munching). Wet the tines of a fork or the bottom of a drinking glass with water and use it to press a dough ball flat. Repeat with each cookie, re-dipping in water each time.
6. Bake at 350 F for 6-8 minutes or until just solid. Do NOT overbake!
7. Optional : Sprinkle with coarse sea salt while still warm. Let cool and serve!