The Ultimate Festive Nut & Chocolate Cookies
There’s something about Christmas baking that calls for a cookie tin filled to the brim with flavours of spice, nuts, and a little chocolate. This recipe is one of my festive favourites because it’s endlessly adaptable — enjoy them plain, studded with chocolate and nuts, or even sandwiched with peanut butter or Nutella for an extra treat.
These cookies are rich, chewy, and full of holiday warmth thanks to the orange zest and spice. They’re also simple enough to whip up for a quick batch yet impressive enough to wrap as gifts.
Ingredients
160g butter, softened
120g brown sugar
125g caster sugar
Zest of one orange ( I some times add two if am feeling festive)
1 egg, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
240g plain flour
40g almond meal
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
200g mixed nuts (e.g. 100g almonds + 100g hazelnuts, roughly chopped)
100g dark chocolate chips
Method
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, almond meal, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, both sugars, and orange zest until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla bean paste, mixing until well combined.
Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined, then fold through the chopped nuts and chocolate chips.
Shape the dough into golf-ball-sized rounds. Place them on a tray and chill in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for a few hours.
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan. Arrange the dough balls on a lined baking tray, leaving space to spread.
Bake for 17 minutes or until golden at the edges but still soft in the centre.
Allow to cool slightly before serving — though I’ll admit, I’ve eaten far too many straight from the oven because they’re that irresistible.
Top Tips from an Executive Chef
Creaming is key: Take the time to whip the butter and sugars until fluffy. It gives you that soft, chewy middle.
Texture matters: Chop the nuts roughly — big, uneven chunks make for the best bite.
Fill them up: For sandwich cookies, flatten two baked cookies, spread peanut butter, Nutella, or even spiced buttercream, and press together.
Bake ahead: You can freeze the shaped dough balls raw. Just bake straight from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes to the bake time.