hazelnuts

What do you do when you have 2 jars of Nutella in the pantry? My first thought was to crack one open and eat it with a spoon (don't lie, I know you were thinking the same thing). Despite my desires, I did the mature thing. I baked these 3 ingredient Nutella cookies and gave them to my neighbors for the holidays. We just moved to a new neighborhood outside of Boston. Within the first hour of moving in, all of our immediate neighbors stopped by to welcome us and introduce themselves. That's one thing I have to give to this little small town - the people are really friendly. In all the years (and places) I lived in Arizona, I think we only knew a couple of our neighbors. In our small town, people really do look out for each other. Back to the cookies. I decided to make these 3 ingredient Nutella cookies for a couple reasons. First, I wanted to get the jars of Nutella out of my house (due to the aforementioned spoon idea). Second, I didn't have a lot of ingredients on hand, so I needed a simple recipe. Finally, I wanted a recipe that seemed fancy, but was actually really straight-forward. I based this recipe on one I found that filled the cookies with Nutella. Since I didn't have any extra Nutella on hand after doubling the cookie recipe, I filled mine with chocolate ganache instead. I found a really simple ganache recipe to fill the cookies. Luckily, I happened to have some crushed hazelnuts on hand from another cookie recipe I made this winter (hazelnut shortbread cookies, yum), so I used those on top for a little decoration and crunch. These 3 ingredient Nutella cookies are beyond simple to make. My biggest tip is to make sure you don't over-bake them. They do dry pretty quickly and no one likes a dry cookie. The good news is that if they are a bit dry, the chocolate filling gives them some instant moisture.I didn't get the chance to ask my neighbors if they liked the cookies, but I felt happy with how these turned out. They looked really fancy, tasted great and were a snap to make. You should definitely try these cookies the next time you have a jar of Nutella in the pantry. Quick & Easy 3 Ingredient Nutella Cookies Recipe Ingredients: 2 Large Eggs 1 1/2 Cups Nutella 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour (do not pack tight or they will be dry) Optional Chocolate Ganache Filling: 1 cup milk 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Finely Chopped Hazelnuts Directions: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whisk together the egg and 3/4 cup Nutella for about 2 minutes until the mixture is glossy. Add the flour and beat until combined. Note: make sure not to overfill the cups with flour. Too much flour and these will be dry. I would even suggest starting with 1 1/2 cup flour and slowly add that last 1/2 cup. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Using a scoop, scoop out the dough and form 1-inch cookie balls (my recipe makes approximately 3 dozen). Place cookie balls on the baking sheet. Use the end of a wooden cooking spoon to make a dent in the center of each cookie. Bake for about 7-9 minutes. Do not overbake, or they will be dry. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool down on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Fill the hole with chocolate sauce (directions below). The easiest way is to use a pastry bag or a zip top bag for this. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts on top of the Nutella. For the Chocolate Sauce: In a saucepan, heat the milk, stirring frequently to discourage scorching, until it begins to simmer and seems like it might start boiling any moment (but don't let it boil). Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining ingredients until smooth. Let the mixture cool to your desired thickness. It will never become hard, per se, but it will set to a smooth, spreadable consistency.

hazelnuts

You Need to Make These Easy 3 Ingredient Nutella Cookies

How to Make Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

This Vegetarian Quinoa Salad Recipe Makes the Best Week-Day Lunch