Can we talk about Nutella for a little minute? That chocolately hazelnutty spread. The tub itself evokes instant memories for me of eating chocolate spread sandwiches as a child. We always called it chocolate spread, partly because we would often buy the non-brand generic versions of the stuff and partly because we were classy like that.
Chocolate spread. Says it all really, especially about the way I consumed it. Spread between two slices of white bread and gobbled up in a heart beat, leaving me sticky-fingered and happy.
Those are some good memories, and they remind me of my mum’s own memory of eating sugar sandwiches as a child. Yes, just white sugar. You know I also went through an unfortunate ketchup sandwich phase (anyone?!) but I’m digressing massively…
Nutella in baking is not something that ever occurred to me since I am such an aficionado of the nutella sandwich. Dipping strawberries in it, yes. Scooping fingerfuls from the jar, obviously. Baking, well not until now.
Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Alpine Berry
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp.
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup toasted & skinned hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Sift together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside dry ingredients.
- Cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in Nutella and vanilla extract. Mix in egg.
- Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add chocolate chips and hazelnuts.
- Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for about 11 minutes until the edges look set. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then carefully remove to cooling racks.
Things to note about these cookies:
a) the hazelnuts are amazing in them. Don’t do without them.
b) it was about 103F in my kitchen as I made these. I was already full from eating steak and new potatoes and more pea/mint bruschetta in the garden. We’ll call it a labour of love.
c) yum.
d) mmmm, nutella.
e) i baked them for 11 minutes exactly and kept to the 2 tbsp recommendation of dough blobs. If you go bigger, bake longer. duh. Unless you like suuuuper soft cookies. I would not judge you unkindly for that.
f) seriously just go and buy a tub of Nutella and make these right now. Everyone will thank you.
Have you ever baked with this magic stuff?
