Nutella-Stuffed Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies

I've got to thank Katie for asking me to do a recipe using Nutella because the stuff is the perfect ingredient for making cookies, especially stuffed ones.

If you're like me and love cookies with a chewy interior and a crunchy exterior, this one is for you. It's a brownie. It's a cookie. It's a brownie-like cookie. It's a cookie-like brownie. Whatever you call it, it's certifiably yummy.

My method here was to carry the chocolate and hazelnut flavors in the Nutella through every layer of the cookie, from the creamables to the dry ingredients.

There's Nutella in the creamables and, of course, the stuffing. There's chopped nuts in the dry ingredients and the stuffing. There's cocoa powder in the dry ingredients to echo the Nutella in the creamables and stuffing. And there's also a little almond extract in the wet ingredients. (I'm sure you can get hazelnut extract in some grocery stores, but almond extract is perfectly acceptable.) How's that for layering flavors?

Makes 2 dozen cookies. (To see this recipe in process, check out Picturing Nutella-Stuffed Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies.)

Filling	1/2 cup Nutella 1/4 cup roughly chopped hazelnuts
Creamables	1 stick butter 1 cup dark brown sugar 1/3 cup Nutella
Wet Ingredients	1 egg 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 teaspoons milk 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Dry Ingredients	2 cups finely ground oatmeal 1 cup roughly chopped hazelnuts 3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Add all the filling ingredients to a small bowl and mix with a spatula until well blended. Let the mixture cool and solidify in the fridge until step 7.
2. Preheat oven to 350º.
3. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and then add to the creamables. Mix together until smooth.
5. In another large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
6. Shape dough into balls—about 2 tablespoons each.
7. Remove the filling mixture from the fridge and stuff each dough ball with 1 teaspoon of the mixture. Put the stuffed dough balls in the fridge for 5 minutes to firm up.
8. Place chilled dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
9. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are firm. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

Comments

[Mumma]

These are super yummy and would be perfect with a cup of hot chocolate. (I think Santa would like some of these, too!!)