Poh’s Hazelnut and Chocolate Fudge Cookies (with nut free option)

I have long been an admirer of Poh Ling Yeow who was runner up in the first Australian Masterchef Series appearing on our TV screens in 2009, and since then has had a TV career appearing in her own shows on ABC and SBS food, as well as having published two amazing cook books.

This recipe comes from one of her shows on SBS food (see here) and also appears on page 198 of her latest book “Same Same But Different” (see here).

When I was alerted to this recipe by a dear friend last week, I converted it for the Thermomix using the roasted hazelnuts from the original recipe, but as my children are nut free I also made them using a mix of toasted pepitas and sunflower seeds (see here for the method I use to toast seeds).  Both options are lovely, and the cookies keep well for up to two weeks which is a bonus.

I always have egg whites in the freezer (they keep well for months), so it is also a great way of using up some of my supplies.

Gina @ The Passionate Pantry

Poh's Hazelnut and Chocolate Fudge Cookies (with nut free option)

3 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 16 minutes mins

Total Time 31 minutes mins

Servings: 20 to 24 cookies

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 200 g raw sugar
• 100 g Dutch cocoa powder
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp freeze dried coffee
  
  
• 180 g roasted hazelnuts whole / or
• 180 g toasted mix of pepitas and sunflower seeds for nut free
• 100 g dark chocolate buds or block chocolate cut into pea size pieces
  
  
• 105 g egg white usually from three egg whites
• sea salt flakes to sprinkle over cookies before baking optional but I like to do this

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees fan forced, and place rack into middle of oven
2. Grease and line two large baking trays with baking paper and put aside
3. Have a small jug with water near the baking trays, and place a 1 tbls measure (20g) into it (you will use this to portion the mixture for the baking tray)
4. Place sugar, cocoa powder, salt and coffee into TM bowl and mill 10 seconds / speed 9
5. Scrape around bowl
6. Add whole hazelnuts and chocolate and mix 5 seconds / reverse / speed 4
7. NB: if using seeds mix 2 seconds / reverse / speed 4
8. Add egg whites and knead 20 seconds … mixture will be sticky
9. Remove mixture into a separate bowl for easier handling (see tips for removing mix and cleaning bowl)
10. Using the 1 tbls measure, dip it into the jug of water and then straight into the mixture, use a teaspoon to scrape the mix from the measuring spoon onto the baking tray (when you have portioned all the mixture, I go back over the cookies and use the wet teaspoon to tidy up the edges but this is not essential)
11. If desired, sprinkle a little sea salt flakes over cookies before baking
12. Place trays one at a time into oven and bake 10 minutes, turn tray around and continue for another 6 minutes until cookies are very lightly cracked on top, and the exterior is lightly firm and glossy
13. Remove tray from oven and allow cookies to cool for 30 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely
14. Will keep for up to two weeks in a sealed container

Notes

TIPS

To get all the mix out from the TM bowl, Turbo x 1 second to dislodge the mix from the blades, then scrape around the bowl with a flexible silicon spatula dipped in water (the mix is less inclined to stick to a wet spatula).

After removing the mix, clean your TM bowl by filling the bowl with tap water to just above the centre of the blade shaft, add a very light dollop of detergent, then heat 1 minute / 60 degrees / speed 6 ... remove the lid, and pour the water out and your bowl should be relatively clean.