Nutella Filled Double Chocolate Cookies are actually a variation on Lava Cookies. I came up with these after a trip to Italy, from which I'd brought home some extra Nutella. Just for experiment's sake (and since I had some little packets of Nutella leftover from a trip to Italy), I stuffed a few balls of chocolate cookie dough (a recipe for lava cookies) with Nutella to see what would happen. Perfect! It definitely improved an already good thing.
To make Nutella Filled Double Chocolate Cookies, shape chilled dough into balls, make a hole in the ball with your finger, spoon a teaspoon of Nutella into the hole, then seal it with more chocolate dough. Bake as directed.
Nutella Filled Double Chocolate Cookies
¾ cup (75 grams) pecans (or walnuts)
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large egg
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (2 ml) salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
½ cup (63 grams) lightly spooned and leveled bleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) baking powder
Nutella or your favorite chocolate hazelnut flavored spread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil or parchment and spread nuts over cookie sheet. Roast nuts for 8 to 10 minutes, then toss with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Let nuts cool, then coarsely chop and set aside.
Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and stir in chocolate chips. Remove from heat and stir until chips melt. If the chips don’t melt completely, return to low heat and stir until they are melted. Set aside.
Beat the egg, sugar, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl for 2 minutes using high speed of an electric hand-held mixer. Turn the mixer to low and add the melted chocolate/butter mixture.
Thoroughly stir together the flour and baking powder, then stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture. Stir in the roasted nuts. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop up mounds of dough and shape into balls a little larger than a golf ball. At this point, you may stuff them with Nutella if desired.
Place dough about 3 inches apart on lined baking sheet. Bake cookies one sheet at a time for exactly 12 minutes. Cool 3 to 5 minute.
Makes 8 large cookies
CindyD says
Just finished skimming the cookie chapter in BAKEWISE. If I dared bake cookies more often, I'd say we ought to start a "Wednesdays with Shirley" group!
Anna says
Jess, I think we cross-posted our comments because I definitely think hazelnuts would taste great.
I need to find some good hazelnuts, though...or order some. All the ones around here are stale.
Jess says
Additionally, what do you think about using hazelnuts instead of pecans to go with the Nutella?
Anna says
Hi Hula Girl,
When we went to San Diego, we rented a condo from VRBO/Homeway.com and it was great because I could bake whenever I felt like it. The thing is, I never felt like it on that particular trip. We were always on the go. I've never asked a restaurant to let me visit the kitchen, but when we went to London we ate dinner at a place called Orso and they invited Fuzz to come back in the kitchen and choose ice cream.
About the cookies, Katrina tested the Nutella version yesterday too. She loved them. We both agree we should try replacing the pecans with hazelnuts, though...at least for the Nutella version.
Jess says
Stuffing things with Nutella is always a good decision. I'd like to stuff myself with Nutella.
hulagirl247 says
hi anna !
way to go with this one!!!!!! i LOVE nutella and will be making this recipe very very soon! (i just need to make certain i have a gallon of milk and hang up the "do not disturb" sign as i most definitely will not want to share these - at least not on the first go-round ;P) i have a recipe for black bottom muffins (using mini muffin cups) that i often add a smidge of nutella in the center of in addition to the regular filling.
i was wondering if you tried to use someone's kitchen to do some baking while you were on your trip - or if you investigated any of the kitchens in the places you dined. if i am away from home more than two days i HAVE to find a place to bake - or at least an oven i can hang around. it's always fun to see the differences in methods and standard ingredients for baking projects.
thank you again for sharing with us - you family & your passions.
regards -
hula
Elyse says
Thanks for the shout out, Anna! I'm so glad you like these cookies. Shirley really knows what she's talking about. Man, I ADORE that you added nutella to the centers. I'm going to have to make these again and add some nutella. How could I not? Your pictures have me completely in a trance! Mmm, mmm, were you able to walk away from these? I feel like I might've just parked myself in front of the plate and chowed down!
C L says
These look soooo delicious! I like the suggestion about the Dark Chocolate Dream nut butter because I happen to have a jar in my pantry. 🙂 Although now I have an excuse to buy a jar of Nutella.... 😉
clumbsycookie says
They put nutella in everything in Italy. Did you try the "mourish coffee" there? I think it was called like that. It was an expresso shot with nutella! I'm loving these cookies, I'm a believer that everything is better with nutella, speacially if you use it like that and not in the dough, cause the flavour gets a bit lost.
Sue says
These must be so good with the Nutella inside. I saw Elyse's version on her blog and thought her version looked good too.
Katrina says
By the way, I made Elyse's "Ninja cookies" and mine were really flat, even after chilling the dough. Tasted good, but were nothing like yours or hers. Now after seeing yours again, I will try again. Must have been something I did wrong. Love the Nutella inside!
Katrina says
Umm, YUM! These look awesome!
Lisa Ernst says
These look very enticing! Love the idea of Nutella inside.
Sarah says
These look amazing!!!
I was in Austin over the weekend for the Capitol 10K and stopped by Whole Foods to look for some new nut butter. I came away with Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter (made by PB & Co., I believe). YUM! My hubby compared it to Nutella, but said that he liked the Dk. Choc. Dreams better.