Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

I haven’t made cookies in quite some time, and I was really feeling the urge to do so.  Plus, I also had some Nutella that was just begging to be used in a delicious, creative way.  I love Nutella, and I love cookies.  So I made some delectable chocolate cookies that were stuffed with ooey-gooey hazelnuts and Nutella (or as you can see, I used the generic brand from my favorite place in the whole world – Costco).   You’re all going to love these, and with the holidays just around the corner, these would be the perfect holiday cookie.  They are a labor of love, but they are so worth it.  Literally, every bite just melts in your mouth.

All you need to make some magical and delectable cookies.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

36 tsp Nutella or hazelnut spread

36 roasted and peeled hazelnuts

1 1/2 cups of softened butter, or 3 sticks

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

3 TBSP milk

3 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

 

Spoon out the hazelnut spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Stick 1 hazelnut in the center of each spoonful of hazelnut spread and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour to set.

Preheat the oven t 350* F

 

Mix all the dry ingredients together and blend well.

In the meantime, mix the butter and sugars together until well blended and the dough is light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, and mix in between each one, then add the vanilla and mix again.   Slowly add the dry ingredients 1/2 at a time and mix in between each addition.

When the dough is ready, remove the hazelnut spread from the freezer.  Spoon out 1 heaping TBSP of dough and roll into a ball, then gently press flat on a lightly floured surface.  Take one hazelnut spread ball and place in the center of the dough.  Then fold the dough around the hazelnut spread.  Shape into a round ball, and lightly press to slightly flatten on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10-15 minutes.  The cookies should be soft.  You do not want to over cook them, or the filling will firm up and will not be ooey and gooey.  When you bite into the cookies you want a semi-liquid, soft filling.

Once the cookies have completely cooled, you can do a light dusting of powdered sugar if you like.  The result is a little bit of Heaven.  These are soft, chewy, ooey-gooey cookies, that are very rich and delicious.  I promise you, this one is a definite winner.