Gluten-free Friday: Rosemary hazelnut shortbread cookies

Typical ingredients in shortbread — a type of biscuit or cookie — include two parts butter, giving it a fairly high fat content, along with wheat or oatmeal flour. For people who cannot eat foods that contain gluten, shortbread doesn’t always make the cut.

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Enter Elana Amsterdam and her rosemary hazelnut shortbread cookies. Not only are these cookies gluten-free, they’re lower in fat than typical shortbread cookies, too.

Herbs as an ingredient in a cookie recipe may be a bit out of the ordinary for some, but if you’re the adventurous type, try these cookies. Elana’s cookbook, The Gluten-free Almond Flour Cookbook, is filled with dishes to serve for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Not too sweet, these cookies make the perfect pairing with a cup of tea. Check out Elana’s website where you can read more about her cookbooks.

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Gluten can be found in many different foods and products, from ketchup to soy sauce to candy and seasonings. While SheKnows.com tries to ensure these recipes are gluten-free, carefully read the ingredient labels of all food and food products you use for these recipes to ensure they are also gluten free.

Rosemary Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 5 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, hazelnuts and rosemary. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, agave nectar and vanilla extract. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined.
3. Roll the dough into a large log, 2 1/2 inches in diameter, then wrap in parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or until firm. Remove the log from the freezer, unwrap it and cut it into 1/4- inch thick slices with a wet knife. Transfer the slices onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
4. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 30 minutes, then serve.

More gluten-free recipes to try

• Gluten-free Ghirardelli fudgy brownies
• Gluten-free Parmesan-topped cornbread
• Gluten-free BBQ sauce