Apricot and Hazelnut Cookies

These Apricot and Hazelnut Cookies are a dried fruit and nut lover’s dream – a delightfully chewy cookie popping with tart apricots, roasted hazelnuts, and a hint of spice.

While I love snacking on dried fruit, I’ve never been a fan of dried fruit in my desserts. Fruitcake? Hard pass. Raisins in my cinnamon buns? Hell no. And don’t even get me started on people who put raisins or pineapple in their carrot cake. I mean, who are these people? Why would you think that was a good idea?

But since moving to England, I’ve had to stifle my hatred for dried fruit desserts. They really seem to go crazy about it over here. Raisin scones, Christmas cake, spotted dick, flaming rum and raisin… the list goes on. So, I figured it was about time I attempted to get on board with it, and what better way to do that than to start with my favourite? Cookies!

Allow me to introduce you to my (and your) newest cookie addiction: Apricot and Hazelnut Cookies.

Apricots are one of my favourite dried fruits. They’re a little bit tart and provide the perfect balance to the bitter roasted hazelnuts. I started with a basic, much-loved cookie base that I used all the time – it produces the most beautiful chewy cookie (my absolute favourite kind) – crisp edges, soft, chewy centres and loads of add-ins with every bite. Seriously, you’ll be using this recipe all the time too now.

I added a bit of nutmeg to the original recipe to give these Apricot and Hazelnut Cookies an extra kick. The spice really livens up the flavours of the apricots and hazelnuts and warms you from the inside out. If necessary, you could substitute the nutmeg for cinnamon, but do me a solid and try the nutmeg first. I promise you’ll love it.

Despite the fact they contain dried fruit, I really love these Apricot and Hazelnut Cookies. There’s something about the combo of a chewy cookie, warm from the oven, mixed with the scent of delicate spice, the tang of apricot, and the crunch of roasted hazelnut that just did it for me. I wouldn’t say I’m a complete convert yet, but maybe I’m on my way to enjoying dried fruit in select desserts.

Just don’t touch my carrot cake.

5 from 1 vote

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Apricot and Hazelnut Cookies

These Apricot and Hazelnut Cookies are a dried fruit and nut lover’s dream – a delightfully chewy cookie popping with tart apricots, roasted hazelnuts, and a hint of spice.

Category Cookies

Keyword Hazelnut Cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Serves 24 large cookies

Author Amanda | Naturally Sweet Kitchen

Ingredients

• 270 g unbleached plain flour
• 110 g whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 226 g unsalted butter room temperature
• 340 g coconut sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk room temperature
• 150 g roasted hazelnuts roughly chopped
• 170 g dried apricots roughly chopped

Method

1. Whisk together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Fit your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and then cream together the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, or until light and airy. Add the vanilla and give it a good stir.
3. Crack in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, and mix for 30 seconds in between each addition.
4. Add the dry ingredients in two parts, stirring each addition just until the flour disappears.
5. Fold in the hazelnuts and apricots on a low speed until well dispersed.
6. Cover the bowl with tin foil and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours. For maximum flavour, it’s best to refrigerate overnight.
7. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, remove the dough from the fridge, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line two baking trays with silicone mats or non-stick parchment paper. Allow the dough to come to room temperature while the oven is preheating (about 15 minutes) before baking.
8. Roll the dough into roughly 3-tablespoon sized balls. They will be quite large – don’t panic. Drop each dough ball onto the tray, making sure to leave ample room between each cookie as they spread in oven. I suggest no more than 8 dough balls per tray.
9. Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes. They should be brown around the edges and on the bottom and have puffed up at the centre.
10. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the cookies to sink and cool for 10 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

These cookies will keep sealed in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.