Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don’t like to think of myself as a bragger (braggart?  I’ve thought about this for too long and the word is starting to lose all meaning to me).

I’m proud, sure, of many of my recipes and this little space that I’ve created, and I can get full-on impassioned when talking about egg yolks and butter and the importance of keeping a thermometer (or two) in your oven at all times.

But I don’t really like to boast about my recipes.  Sure, here I talk about their best qualities, but in the real world it’s more of a “I thought this was good, and I hope you like it too”, and let the cookie/cake/etc. speak for itself.

But I have been full out bragging about these cookies.  Everything short of stopping people in the halls of the hospital where I work and telling them about “these amazing Nutella stuffed cookies that I made”.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (148g) Nutella, divided1
• 2 and 1/3 cups (295g) all-purpose flour (careful not to overmeasure here! spoon & level)
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in 1/4 cup (74g) of Nutella until combined.
3. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. Add 1 cup (180g) of chocolate chips and mix on low for about 5-10 seconds until evenly disbursed. Turn the mixer off and add the remaining Nutella. Beat for 5-10 seconds so the Nutella streaks through the cookie dough and is not fully mixed. Dough will be a little crumbly, that is OK. Dough will be extremely crumbly if the remaining Nutella was mixed in too much.
4. Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each, into balls. The warmth of your hands will help them come together. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until slightly golden brown around the edges. My oven has hot spots and yours may too- so, be sure to rotate the pan once during bake time. The baked cookies will look extremely soft in the centers when you remove them from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. During this time, if the cookies are too puffy, try gently pressing down on them with the back of a spoon. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. As the cookies cool, grab the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. Gently press a few chocolate chips into the tops of the slightly warm cookies (this is for looks and optional, of course!) and finish each with a sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Make ahead tip: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 4. Baked cookies freeze well - up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well - up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.

Recipe Notes:

• I mention this in the post, but in case you missed it: the trick to the Nutella is to stir it vigorously before using. Like natural peanut butters, Nutella's oils typically rise to the top of the jar as it sits.
• This oil poses a huge problem to cookies...over-spreading! To fight this, make sure the Nutella is stirred so you get that very, very thick Nutella at the bottom of the jar.

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