Nutella is like George Clooney. Every time you mention either one, people swoon. No one seems to say a negative word about them.
Well I have a confession. Nutella, George, and I have an on-again, off-again relationship. That jar can live unnoticed in the back of a cabinet until I stumble upon it while searching for a can of garbanzo beans. That actor can exist completely out of sight until a trailer for a new movie interrupts some other entertainment.
Just a spoonful of Nutella and I’m in love with this Italian classic all over again. The perfect balance of hazelnut and chocolate leave an unmistakable taste memory that makes you return to the jar—or use in baking.
These cookies are the perfect transfer devices for getting your Nutella fix (and they’re more portable and culturally acceptable than carrying around a jar and a large spoon). Cookies in the oven quickly emit intoxicating vapors filling the kitchen with Nutellaness. A bite of a finished cookie yields two surprises—a crisp sugar crackle enveloping an unsuspected chewy core.
It’s been a while George, but your performance in The Descendants reminded me how I missed you. Stick around for a while. May I offer you a cookie?
1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat Nutella, butter, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, espresso, and eggs and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and milk, and mix until just combined. Fold in 2/3 cup hazelnuts and refrigerate dough until firm, about 1 hour.
2. Adjust oven racks to middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line three baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.
recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
