As someone with Celiac Disease, I often walk into places where I used to look forward to going with more than a little shred of trepidation. The coffee shop, for example, used to be my grown up idea of a candy store (don’t even get me started on the candy store!). I loved the smell of the coffee and the pastries (I still do).

Most places do make an attempt to have a gluten free option. But if its not sitting right next to a wheat filled croissant, then it’s been waiting in a sad little plastic wrapper since the Clinton administration.

My cookie of choice was the biscotti. I usually look from the beautiful chocolate dipped biscotti in the case to the lonely, cloudy, wrapper covered, gf version, and end up with a peppermint tea and a Kind Bar. (One day I will share the stacks of poetry I have written about Kind Bars, my go-to rescue snack, but I’ll spare you for today). If you are following a strict gf diet, you know this little dance.

Comedian George Carlin used to do a joke about how the longer the coffee order the bigger the jerk (He used more flowery language, but you get the idea). So, I decided to stay home and enjoy my “gluten-free, dairy-free, homemade almond milk, mocha latte” in peace where I wouldn’t need to feel like a jerk. But alas, I was missing the big beautiful biscotti from the case. What’s a gluten free girl to do? Well make her own of course! And you can too!

These take a little while to make, but are by no means difficult. They work up very quickly and have endless possibilities as far as fillings go. Biscotti translates to twice baked. The first baking is in a log shape. When they come out of the oven, slice them into 1 inch cookies and lay flat back on the baking sheet to go in for their second baking. Be sure to turn the oven down to 300° at this point. This allows the oven to dry out the cookies and make them crispy.

The only “unusual” ingredient you will notice is the 1/2 cup of almond pulp. I was looking for something to do with the left over pulp from making almond milk and decided to give it a try in these. I think it adds an extra layer of flavor, added protein and fiber, but if you don’t have this on hand, you can sub it out for almond meal and a little water, or leave it out entirely and add a 1/4 cup more of the gf flour blend.

Once they cool, drizzle with melted chocolate, or dip them in the chocolate and allow to dry.

These are worth the time and look and taste super fancy.

Gluten Free Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

Prep time 20min
Cook time 50min
Makes 24

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups GF Flour Blend

1 tsp. Baking Powder (GF & Aluminum Free)

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 cup Almond Pulp (left over from making Almond milk)*

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

1 Tbs. Vanilla Extract

2 eggs

2 egg whites

1/2 cup Toasted Hazelnuts

1 cup Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl and set aside
In the bowl of an electric mixer whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, almond pulp and vanilla. Stir to combine
Add the dry ingredients into the the wet and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds to a minute
Add the hazelnuts and chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed throughout the dough
Place the dough in a log shape across the cookie sheet (about 2.5 inches wide)
Cook for 30 min turning halfway through
Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 300° and slice into 1.5 inch slices using a serrated knife
Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet and place back in the oven for 20 min.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely
Optional: Drizzle with melted chocolate
Store in an airtight container