Flour Craft Bakery, Heather Hardcastle
Chewy, chocolaty and all of five ingredients. There’s more than one reason that Heather Hardcastle’s Chocolate-Peppermint Crinkle Cookies are a fan favorite—both to eat and to make. If you didn’t know that the cookies were entirely gluten-free, you would never guess. Heather eliminated gluten from her diet in 2001 and set about learning how to adapt in the kitchen—ultimately pursuing a degree at Culinary Institute of America. She began selling her gluten-free baked goods at Marin farmers markets in 2009 and opened her first bakery in San Anselmo in 2013. Today, her Flour Craft gluten-free bakery cafés are renowned for their crusty breads and creative salads as much as for her sweets. “Truth be told … I’ve always been a bit of a cookie monster,” says Heather. “I also love chocolate, so any way to combine the two and I’m in!”
Ingredients
- 1½ cups almond flour
- ¾ cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 large egg
Preparation
Preheat oven to the highest temperature, 450–500°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the almond flour, powdered sugar and cocoa powder on low speed just to break up any clumps. Add the water, peppermint extract and egg. Beat on medium speed until the dough is evenly moist. It will be sticky, like a thick cake batter. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to hydrate the almond flour.
Add some powdered sugar to a small bowl. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Drop the ball in the sugar and roll gently to coat. Place the dough balls on the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
Quickly put the baking sheets into the hot oven. Turn off the oven and bake the cookies until cracked on top and the edges just barely feel set, 12–15 minutes. Do not open the oven door while the cookies are baking.
Note: The baked cookies will feel soft in the middle and will set as they cool. The desired texture is crunchy exterior with chewy centers so take care not to overbake. Makes 15 cookies.
