Chocolate Cinnamon Hazelnut Cookies
These are like the cookie version of the Cinnamon Hazelnut Brownies I made a couple of weeks ago, and they are every bit as glorious!
Once again I have the wonderful Sugar Plum to thank for these. Her recipe doesn’t call for any cinnamon, but after how tasty the cinnamon hazelnut combination was in the brownies, I knew it would be amazing in these cookies as well. Oh how right I was, how right indeed!
They are chewy yet fluffy (very soft straight out of the oven and a bit crisper after a couple of hours) with crunchy hazelnuts throughout, and completely over-the-top when dunked in milk. You will love these, and that is a promise. I mean really, who could ever dislike anything that contains Nutella???
I also feel like these cookies would be great for making whoopie pies (or something of the sort?) or ice cream sandwiches. I can just imagine a delectable cinnamon whipped cream or a beautifully simple homemade vanilla ice cream placed smack dab in between two of these babies. Mmmm, heaven! Someone try this and report back on my yummy suspicions, please!
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 ounces dark chocolate
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup Nutella (or other chocolate-hazelnut spread)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, brown the butter. It should turn golden brown, foam, and smell nutty (it will take around 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate until melted.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and butter/chocolate mixture for a few minutes. Add in the Nutella, eggs, and vanilla and beat until combined. Slowly add in the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Stir in the hazelnuts.
- Scoop onto the prepared baking sheets about an inch apart (I used a medium-small cookie scoop for this); flatten the balls slightly. Bake for 12-15 minutes until set (I baked mine for 12). Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool further.
