This is my Hobnobs blog.

Next to the chocolate chip cookie, Chocolate covered Hobnobs are the best everyday, anytime cookie if there be an everyday, anytime cookie.

If someone comes over and you offer a Chocolate covered Hobnob, wheat free or not, they will accept.

When it is time for them to go, they will stack two in their hand, smile shyly and say, “Doggy Bag,” and hope that you don’t mind.

I don’t purchase cookies often if I can make them. I can make these and I still buy them.  

They taste the same as store bought Hobnobs, except mine are better.

While I don’t have a real problem with wheat, if I can avoid it without disappointment, I will try.

So Golden syrup.  It is not the same as corn syrup or maple syrup.  It is like treacle, which is sort of like amber corn syrup/fancy molasses maybe, but molasses has too strong of a flavour for this cookies and a lot of people do not like to use corn syrup -which is not quite the same as high fructose corn syrup.

A good substitution for Golden syrup, I have read, sounding like I assume you don’t have any, would be brown rice syrup. I have used Barley malt syrup, also very thick, but it is not gluten free.

Look at the ingredients on the brown rice syrup, some may contain barley ingredients.

I have also substituted with more brown sugar.  For this recipe, ¼ cup (50g).

They turn out a bit more crunchy, still nice tasting.

Wheat free Hobnobs with milk chocolate and dark chocolate

Hobnobs biscuits are very similar to Digestive biscuits. 

One difference is Digestive biscuits tend to be thinner.

Digestive are wheat based and Hobnobs are oat based.  Hobnobs usually also contain wheat but I have used sorghum flour instead.  Sorghum is a grain that is high in fibre and very easy to sub into a recipe calling for some flour.  

For gluten intolerances or celiac, check the labels as you would for oats.

How to Make Wheat Free Chocolate Covered Hobnobs

If you are making your own oat flour, place about a cup (75g) rolled oats, not quick or instant into a food processor and process until fine.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or use a silicone baking mat.

1. Combine quick cooking oats, sorghum flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

Oats processed into oat flour

The dry ingredients

2. Beat butter and brown sugar until light, about 2 minutes.  Beat in syrup.

3. Stir in the dry ingredients until well combined and no dry areas remain.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)

4. Wrap and refrigerate the Hobnobs dough for about 30 minutes to soften the oats.

5. Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls.

 I made 28 cookies with 540g dough, about 19g each.    

6. Press the cookies to about 2″ (5cm) diameter.

I pressed the cookies with the bottom of a flat glass.  I could see what I was doing with the glass, but first I patted the tops of the cookies with some water so the cookies stayed together better and didn’t stick to the glass.  Be careful how you press so you don’t break the glass.  The bottom of a ramekin or plate would do well too, or your fingers.  

7. Bake for about 10 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan.

For the chocolate.

Tempering.  When chocolate melts, the cocoa fat separates.

Tempering is a heating and cooling process to stabilize the cocoa fat back into the chocolate as the temperature comes down. 

This results in a smooth, glossy firm finish without a whitish bloom which is present because of the separation.  More obvious in dark chocolate than in milk.

Only relevant when the chocolate has a good bit of cocoa butter in it.  Use good chocolate.

What I do for a quick tempering-

Chop about ¼ of the chocolate and set aside.

Carefully microwave the rest of the chocolate.  I microwave it for 20 seconds and let it sit, then do it for another 20 seconds and stir.  It will probably need another 20 seconds, just don’t rush it, then stir in the chopped chocolate, using only the heat to melt the rest.

Spread onto the bottoms of completely cooled cookies.  

I held my flat sided off-set spatula on a bit of an angle, spread some chocolate on the hobnob and moved across tapping and lifting.

You could also just give it a quick swirl probably more characteristic of a homemade chocolate covered hobnob.

You may refrigerate until set.

An even bigger cheat. You could add a teaspoon of butter or coconut oil instead of this “tempering” but melt the butter or oil together with the chocolate.  It comes together better and stays that way instead of stirring in after.  This will prevent the bloom, but not be quite so snapppy and may melt in your hand a bit quicker.  They will still be shiny though.

Milk Chocolate Hobnob