Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
These two-bite treats are for anyone who loves the combination of chocolate and hazelnuts. Hidden beneath a crunchy topping of toasted nuts is a dollop of chocolate hazelnut spread, which oozes like the middle of a molten lava cake when a cookie is served warm. For the creamiest centers, drop or pipe teaspoonfuls of the chocolate hazelnut spread on a parchment paper-lined pan and freeze until firm. Press those frozen mounds into the centers of the raw cookie dough rounds and bake. Whether you do that or simply drop the spread straight from the jar (as instructed below), you’ll end up with crackly-edged, fudgy cookies.
- Total:
- Serves: 16 persons
Ingredients
- 4ounces/113 grams bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
- 1tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼teaspoon fine salt
- 1large egg, room temperature
- ⅓cup/78 grams granulated sugar
- ½teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼cup/34 grams all-purpose flour
- ⅓cup/110 grams chocolate hazelnut spread
- ¼cup/35 grams roasted and skinned hazelnuts, chopped
Instructions
Step 1
Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring until smooth. Stir in the salt, remove from the heat.Step 2
Whisk the egg and sugar in a large bowl by hand or using an electric mixer until pale yellow and foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla. Add the chocolate mixture and stir gently with a spatula until all the streaks are shades of brown.Step 3
Add the flour and stir gently until no traces of flour remain. Drop tablespoons of dough onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet in rounds, spacing 2 inches apart. If the tops are rounded, gently press them flat. Refrigerate until stiffened, at least 15 minutes and up to overnight.Step 4
Heat oven to 375 degrees.Step 5
Using a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag with a 1/2-inch hole cut in a corner, or a teaspoon measuring spoon, pipe or drop dollops of chocolate-hazelnut spread on top of the dough, leaving a border of dough uncovered. Sprinkle the tops with hazelnuts.Step 6
Bake until the cookie dough looks crackled and just dry, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the sheets and enjoy warm or at room temperature. These cookies taste best on the day they’re baked, but will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature.