Christmas Cookie no 2: Nutella Dream Cookies

Is this a Christmas cookie or just a regular cookie? The Nutella Dream cookie is probably just a regular cookie on a normal day. But Christmas needs more chocolate cookies, so I'm bringing them over to the holiday side.

I was definitely woo'd by the thought of a chocolate chocolate chip cookie with nuts that gets stuffed with Nutella. That's a combo that just doesn't stop.Now that I've made them I will say they are good, but they are in the "great with milk or tea" category. That's a nice way of saying they could be a richer, a little more moist. They aren't exactly the gooey chocolates brownie-like Chocolate Monster Cookies. But these cookies are stuffed with Nutella. Its a very good surprise to bite into. Its like a lovely, thoughtful, and unexpected holiday gift. See, they are Christmas cookies after all. This cookie recipe is from Serious Eats.

Nutella Dream Cookies

1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
(I use Dean Deluca's it a good value for the quality)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Nutella, chilled

Add sugar and butter to the bowl of a standing mixer. Whip until white colored and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Scrape sides down 1-2 times while whipping. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated about 2 minutes. Scrape sides down and add cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda and mix for another two minutes. Add one cup of flour and mix until beginning to incorporate. Add remaining flour and mix until beginning to incorporate. There should be some flour visible. Remove bowl from mixer and add in nuts and chocolate chips. Fold in by hand until flour is no longer visible.

Shut your nutella hole with cookie dough

The dough will be very sticky. Cover with a sheet of wax paper and chill for at least one hour to make the dough more manageable. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape two tablespoons of dough in to balls. Fill each ball with nutella by pushing an indentation into the center. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of chilled nutella into the indentation. Its much easier to manage the sticky nutella if its cold. Pinch the balls closed to cover the nutella. I found it convenient to grab a little dough off the side of the ball and smoosh it over the opening of the nutella hole.

Place cookie dough balls on an ungreased baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes until tops are beginning to crack. Don't overbake or they will be really dry. Remove from oven and let rest on tray for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Recipe yields 18 cookies.