I’ve stated my cookie laws loud and clear (see previous recipe). But here's another version, perhaps even better considering Nutella is inarguably ambrosial.

These cookies are thick; they’re chewy; and they have a a molten Nutella centre with oozy chocolate and crunchy toasted hazelnuts. I’m not even going to feign modesty: these cookies are the apotheoses of cookies. Make sure you have at least two reserved per person because eating one is never going to be enough – be warned.

Ingredients (makes 24)

75g Nutella (refrigerated, in order to make it scoopable)

220g unsalted butter

35g caster sugar

130g light brown muscovado sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

300g white flour (plain or spelt work well)

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

250g chocolate buttons, roughly chopped into 1cm pieces

100g toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped into halves

2 baking sheets lined with non-stick greaseproof paper

Method 

1)    Using a ¼ teaspoon measurer, scoop the Nutella into 24 dollops and dot them onto the lined tray. Place in the freezer. These will cool so it’s easier for them to be placed into the centre of the cookies (which will become molten upon baking).

2)    Brown the butter by melting it in a small pan over a medium-high heat. Once melted, continue to cook for a few minutes further, stirring frequently. It will froth and start to turn to a deep amber, giving off a rich, nutty aroma. Take it off the heat and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or large bowl if making by hand). Pour in the caster and muscovado sugars, and beat for a couple of minutes until the sugars have dissolved. Don’t worry if the mixture is still a little grainy. Set aside to cool slightly.

3)    One the butter-sugar mix is lukewarm/room temp, pour in the vanilla extract and eggs. Beat for about 3-5 minutes until the minute thickens and turns to an opaque, very pale golden hue. Sieve in the flour, baking powder and salt, and very gently fold the mixture together until almost combined. Pour in the chocolate and hazelnuts, and continue to mix until evenly distributed.

4)    Leave the dough to rest at room temperature for half an hour. This allows the flour to hydrate and creates that coveted chewiness in the final baked product.

5)   Preheat the oven to 200°C.

6)   Remove the frozen Nutella pieces from the freezer. Scoop out 40g of dough, roll into a rough ball (about 6cm in diameter) and make a deep indentation with your finger/thumb. Place one piece of Nutella inside and shape the cookie dough over it so it is enclosed inside the dough, without any gaps for potential leakage.  Continue with the rest of the dough and Nutella, and space evenly on the lined trays, leaving about 5cm between each.

7)   Place in preheated oven to bake for 6-8 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden but still soft to the touch. Remove from oven – they will continue to cook on the hot baking tray. If making as a dessert, serve hot with ice cream. Or it you’d prefer a more portable treat, allow to cool and then devour. As they cool, they develop the crisp outside and irresistible chewy, gooey inside. 

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