Okay, move over… this one is a winner! I will be making these for Christmas annually! They are very good. Plus they use Nutella (Chocolate Hazelnut Cream spread from Europe — I grew up with this stuff and to have a cookie that uses it is downright divine!) I found this recipe in America’s Test Kitchen’s Holiday Cookies 2010 issue. It was also featured as one of the winning cookie recipes last year that was submitted by readers. Yum Yum. Allow time for chilling the dough. I set out to make these and then after I had preheated the oven it said to chill the dough 1 hour to 24 hours.
If you read my blog entry about Lemon Curd Cookies you know that Hazelnuts are sometimes hard to find. I found them at my Winco Food’s market, but Trader Joe’s does carry them from time to time if you are lucky enough to be near one.
Hazelnut Chews
From America’s Test Kitchen Holiday Cookie (Holiday 2010) page 3
Makes 7 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups Nutella spread (1-13 oz jar)
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder, (I used a Starbucks sample for a flavored coffee)
- 1/3 cup milk
Roll in:
- 2 cups hazelnuts, toasted and chopped fine in a food processor
- 1 cup powdered sugar (confectioners)
Preparation:
- Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) in a bowl and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the Nutella, butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 2 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, instant coffee and mix until well combined. Reduce speed and add the dry ingredients and milk. Just until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts (oops I missed that and they turned out great anyway). Divide dough into 2 quart size bags and refrigerate for 1-24 hours.
- Adjust the oven racks to the two middle positions and preheat the oven to 375 F. Line 2 cookie sheets with either parchment paper or silicone mats (I love my silpats) Place chopped hazelnuts in one large pie dish and 1 cup of powdered sugar in another small bowl. Scoop 1 Tbsp of the chilled dough and form it into a ball. Roll the dough first in the chopped hazelnuts and then in the powdered sugar and then place them on the cookie sheet with plenty of space between them (about 2 inches between). I fit 12-15 on my cookie sheet (4 to 5 rows of 3). Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Rotating the pans half way through and switching them in position with upper and lower sheets.
- Remove them from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before removing the cookie to a wire rack to cool completely. These also freeze nicely!
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