The first recipe below is the Pinterest recipe I found with the addition of a little cocoa powder, a couple drops of vanilla extract and a generous sprinkle of sea salt crystals. The result is a dense, chewy hazelnut-chocolate treat. The second recipe (which I proudly made up by the way) uses the same dough to make a Nutella and Raspberry Buttercream sandwich cookie. I made both using one batch of cookies on two separate baking sheets.
Also, feel free to substitute my homemade Nutella recipe from over the summer. Click here for the link! :)
Ingredients:
Dough
-1 egg
-1 cup Nutella
-1 (scant) cup flour
-1 T cocoa powder
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Raspberry Buttercream
-1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
-1-1/2 cup confectioner's sugar (i.e. powdered sugar)
-1/3 cup raspberry jam
-1 tsp vanilla extract
* You will also need a small cookie cutter and a rolling pin!
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg, then add Nutella and vanilla extract. Whisk some more until the mixture is well combined.
3. Carefully add the flour and cocoa powder to the Nutella and egg. Use a spatula to stir the ingredients together until they form a dense dough. It is also helpful to just dig in and use your hands to knead the dough into a ball.
4. Lay a large piece of parchment paper on your workspace. Dust with flour. If making plain Nutella cookies, simply roll small pieces into balls and then place them 2 inches apart from each other on your cookie sheets. Press cracked sea salt crystals on top of each cookie.
If making Nutella Sandwich Cookies with Raspberry Buttercream, use a rolling pin to flatten out your piece of dough into a 1/8 inch thick slab. Cut out circular cookies with a cookie cutter until you have used up all of your cookie dough. Place your cookies on the other baking sheet 1 inch apart. You may bake both types of cookies too, but make sure that they are on separate baking sheets.
5. Bake regular Nutella cookies for about 6-8 min, or until crackly and firm on the outside. Bake Nutella Sandwich Cookies w/ Raspberry Buttercream for 5-6 min or until hard on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside.
6. Transfer the baked cookies to a drying rack to cool.
6. Meanwhile, make the buttercream frosting. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream the butter until smooth (not lumpy!). Slowly add the powdered sugar in small additions until creamy. Add the vanilla extract and raspberry jam until well combined.
7. To make a sandwich cookie, spread a small amount of frosting on one small circular cookie. Press another circular cookie on top, trying not to apply too much pressure since the frosting could spill out from the center. Repeat this step until all of the cookies have been sandwiched!
8. Place the cookie sandwiches in the fridge for a couple of hours until the frosting firms up. Enjoy!
