Nutella/Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies [Recipe]

Chocolate, Cookies, Recipes, Sweet / Thursday, July 23rd, 2015
Some of you may know that I lived in Germany for 6 months; and well, if I learned anything about German people while I was there, it’s that they–love–Nutella. A lot. Either that or the whole world loves Nutella and I was somehow in the dark on that one (it’s like a once-in-3-years kind of treat in my house). Regardless, while I was there I had the opportunity to teach a baking class to a bunch of teenagers, and I wanted to come up with something that they would all enjoy making. So, I made up a recipe with the golden ingredient – Nutella – and they loved it. Success!
Side note, I didn’t actually use Nutella brand to make the cookies for this tutorial; hence, the reason that the name of this recipe is not specifically called “Nutella Cookies.” Any chocolate hazelnut spread should work for this.
Wanna learn how to make them? Read on!

(Note: I made a double batch for this tutorial.)

Nutella/Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
Makes approx. 2 dozen.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 egg, separated
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. baking cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/2 c. chopped or slivered hazelnuts, almonds or peanuts (I am using chopped peanuts in this tutorial; chopped nuts are easier to work with than slivered ones.)
Nutella or another chocolate hazelnut spread (about 1/2 c.)
Melting chocolate, optional (for drizzle)

1.  In a medium-large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolk, milk and vanilla. Mix to combine.
2.  Sift in the flour, cocoa, and salt; mix to combine, kneading with your hands if it is too difficult to stir.

3. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until using (you can make the cookies right away, no problem).

4. Beat the egg whites until frothy. Shape the dough into walnut-sized pieces, dip each ball into the beaten egg white, and roll with chopped nuts.

 

 

5.  Press the cookies onto non-stick baking pans, making a deep indentation in the middle with your thumb. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until the nuts are lightly golden and the cookie centres look dry (they will have a wet unbaked look if they aren’t ready).

 

 

 

6.  When the cookies are done, using the back of a spoon, re-enforce the indentations in the middle of each cookie while they are still warm (they will have risen up in the oven a little bit). Cool completely on wire racks.

 

7.  Spoon some chocolate hazelnut spread into a prepared piping bag, snip of the tip, and pipe some of it into the centre of each cookie to fill it up (if you do this while the cookies are warm, the filling will melt and you will have to let it set again before you can serve them).

Note: Not sure how to prepare a piping bag? Check out This Tutorial to see! Or, for the sake of convenience, just spoon some filling into the corner of a ziplock bag and snip off the corner for a makeshift piping bag.

 

 

8.  If you like, you can melt a bit of dark or milk chocolate melting wafers and put it into a plastic squeeze bottle, piping bag, or ziplock bag with the tip/corner snipped off in order to drizzle the tops of the cookies. Allow the chocolate to set before serving.

You’re done! Serve with a glass of cold milk or a good cup of coffee. 🙂

 

Enjoy!

Back soon,

–Naomi

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