bonus: nutella cookies

This isn't from the book. I made these up. But these cookies certainly fit the theme of the Babbo book, and there are cookies not unlike this in there. I keep a ziploc full of these, unbaked, at all times if possible.

This was what we had at the end of the meal that has been the subject of the past five posts. Since its my recipe, I can post it here.

Nutella cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter
4 cups dark chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread, refrigerated
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

Melt butter in a saucepan. Over very low heat, add chocolate chips, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

In electric mixer, cream together eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Add chocolate. Sift the flour and baking powder together, then add that to the mix. Refrigerate dough for about an hour.

Take a spoonful of dough and roll it. It should be about the size golf ball. Stick a thumb in the ball to make an indention. Using two teaspoons, take a little of the chilled Nutella and put it in the cookie. Roll the cookie again to close it. (at this point, you can put them on a tray in the freezer, not touching each other, for a couple of hours, then transfer to a ziploc bag to bake later.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Top with the chopped hazelnuts (if frozen, the cookies can go straight to the oven from the freezer, but wait until about half-way through the baking time to add the nuts.).

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (13-15 if frozen). Cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 3 dozen.