Description
These Nutella Cookies feature a luscious Nutella center wrapped in a tender, cream cheese-enriched chocolate chip cookie dough. The cookies have a perfect balance of sweetness and rich hazelnut flavor, with a delightfully soft texture that's enhanced by chilling the dough and the Nutella filling before baking.
Ingredients
Nutella Filling
- 1/2 cup Nutella
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare the Nutella: Scoop or pipe the Nutella into heaping teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Freeze them until they’re firm, about one hour. It's best to leave them in the freezer until you are ready to stuff the cookies to maintain firmness.
- Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy, which takes five to seven minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cornstarch. Gradually mix the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no streaks remain. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips. Remember to scrape down the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Portion the cookie dough: Measure the cookie dough by quarter-cupfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate the dough until it’s firm enough to shape, approximately one hour.
- Stuff the cookie dough: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Flatten each cookie dough portion using the bottom of a measuring cup. Quickly place a frozen Nutella portion in the center of each dough piece. Wrap the dough completely around the Nutella, shaping it into a ball. Refrigerate the stuffed cookie dough balls until chilled, about 30 minutes. If the dough sticks to your tools, use slightly damp hands to flatten the cookies.
- Bake the cookies: Arrange three to four cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 4 inches apart. Bake until the tops appear dry and edges are browned, about 17 to 20 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for five minutes to finish setting, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Freezing Nutella in portioned spoonfuls makes stuffing easier and prevents the filling from melting into the dough prematurely.
- Chilling both the cookie dough and the stuffed dough balls helps control spreading during baking, resulting in thicker, softer cookies.
- If the dough is sticky when shaping, wet your hands slightly to handle it more easily.
- Storage tip: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
