Fall baking is in full swing, folks. This is me embracing it!

Ingredients

• 1 medium egg

• 1/2 cup granulated brown sugar

• 1/3 cup AP flour

• 1 cup whole hazelnuts*

• 1/3 cup blanched almond slivers*

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp butter, melted

• 3 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1/3 cup 60 - 70% dark chocolate chunks

Method

• Blitz the hazelnuts and almond slivers down to a grainy “flour”, using a immersion blender or a food processor.

• In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly and mix well with the melted butter and vanilla. To this mixture, add in all the other ingredients, and mix by hand to ensure that a uniform dough is formed.

• Divide the dough into as many parts as you’d like, depending on the size of cookie desired (I made 15), and roll these dough bits into little balls. Flatten the dough balls into rounds slightly over an inch across. Place the rounds on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours, prior to baking.

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Divide the entire lot of cookies into 2 and bake one batch at a time, for 12 - 15 minutes, till they are golden-brown. Let the cookies sit in the warm oven for 2 minutes after the timer has gone off, to ensure an even crisp in the texture. Lay out the cookies on a wire rack, and let them cool completely (3 - 4 minutes). Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, for up to 10 days.

*Notes: You can substitute the whole nuts with 1 1/4 cup of either hazelnut flour, almond flour, or just simple all-purpose flour.