Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm back.  Sort of.

How was your holiday?  Wonderful I hope.  How are your bellies?  Still stuffed with food I hope.  Because mine definitely is.  And I wouldn't want to be the only one.

I'm pretty sure the feast we prepared a few days ago for 10 people could have easily fed 50.  I'm not sure why I do that, but I find it completely necessary to go way over the top for all holiday meals.  If the meal doesn't require two solid days in the kitchen...I'm not satisfied and neither is my mother.  The Bell women won't have it any other way.

Maybe we should start inviting more guests.  So...um...would you like to join us next year?

Great.



I'm completely aware that cookies are probably the last thing you want to see right now...but I need you to know that these are a very solid exception.

As of now I've already whipped up three batches.  And my father, who literally never eats sweets, can't keep his paws off of them.  He's the reason I decided to make a few more batches.  If dad even goes in for round one, you know you've got something worth while.  But if he's going back for number twelve three days later...you know you've hit it out of the park.

Trust me on this one.  Make these things.  And take a few (but probably way more) to your New Years festivities.  Or stay home on New Years and eat the whole batch.



Makes: 2 dozen
Prep Time: 2 hours
Bake Time: 9 Minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 9 minutes
Adapted From: Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 jar Nutella, chilled in refrigerator
coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until it beings to foam.  Continuously whisk until the butter begins to brown on the bottom of the saucepan, about 5-7 minutes.  As soon as the butter is brown and begins to give off a nutty aroma remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl to prevent from burning.  Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
3. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended.  Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined.  Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined.  Gently fold in all of the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
4. Chill the dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°.  Measure out a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball.  Flatten the ball very thinly into the palm of your hand and then place 1 teaspoon of chilled nutella in the middle and fold the dough up and around it.  Gently roll into a ball (it doesn't have to be perfect!) and make sure the nutella isn't seeping out anywhere.  If it is, cover it up with more dough.
6. Place dough balls on a cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and flatten the tops ever so slightly with your fingers.
7. Bake the cookies 9 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown.  Remove from oven and let sit on the baking sheets for several minutes.  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.  
8. Enjoy!