Garrett’s Chocolate Nutella Hazelnut Cookies

There are so many amazing food blogs out right now adding to conversations about cooking, techniques, and sharing stories related to food.  I follow several pretty seriously–Simply Recipes, Smitten Kitchen, Steamy Kitchen, Closet Cooking, and this one, Vanilla Garlic by Garrett McCord.  Garrett’s blog is just fabulous: he’s a super smart, interesting writer who posts these epic essays and recipes about everything–what he’s eating, what he’s making, etc., and they’re all so charming.  In my mind, this food blogger has the art of food blogging down to…an art.

It’s no surprise that when he posted this recipe in August over at Simply Recipes, I just had to add these cookies to my baked goods repertoire.  Adding to a traditional Chocolate-Nut Cookie, Garrett’s recipe calls for Nutella (one of my favorite sweet spreads) and Hazelnuts to compliment the already existing hazelnut flavor found in Nutella.  The product? A super-chewy, flavorful, yummy cookie.

Garrett’s Chocolate Nutella Hazelnut Cookies

The original post for this recipe may be found over at Simply Recipes here.  I’ve followed the directions exactly below, but if you’re wondering why my cookies don’t have that deep-dark chocolate color as pictured in the original, I must admit to a last minute substitution.  Discovering that I was out of cocoa powder, I added the same amount in melted dark chocolate.  The flavor was still rich and decadent, but the color was not as punchy as I would have liked.  Regardless, this is an easy and simple substitution that works great.

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

* 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

* 3/4 cup white sugar

* 1 cup Nutella

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

* 2 eggs, beaten

* 2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (or, melted dark chocolate if you must substitute)

* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 cup chocolate chips

* 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

1.) Preheat oven to 350F.  In a standing kitchenaid mixer (or similar kitchen device), add butter in one inch cubes to sugar.  Allow sugar and butter to cream together until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

2.) Add vanilla, salt, baking soda, and eggs.  Mix to combine.  Add cocoa and mix until integrated.

3.) Slowly add flour to wet mixture making sure to scrape down sides of bowl during this process.

4.) Finally, add chocolate chips and hazelnuts to batter and mix until combined.  Do not over-mix.

5.) Grease several baking sheets with butter or non-stick spray.  Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out batter onto baking sheets with 1 inch between cookies.

6.) Bake in oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan (about 2 minutes) and then transfer to a wire rack or parchment paper.

Enjoy! Makes 3 dozen (larger size), or 6 dozen (smaller size).

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