Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies



Before I reveal the secret to gooey nutella deliciousness, I want to thank Sarah for her guest post!  In addition to being one of my most loyal readers, Sarah also bore witness to (and supported) my first forays into the culinary world when we lived together in college.  I’m so happy that she agreed to share shakshuka with you all!

Now for the cookies: a post that has completed an epic journey to get here today.  You see, I first made these cookies last September 27th with every intention of posting them in honor of my 3-year blogiversary.  I brought them to school to share with friends and we celebrated...but I never told you about it because tragedy struck and I couldn’t get my camera to work.  I was poised for quite a successful photo shoot: the cookies tasted amazing; they had fallen beautifully onto the plate in an effortlessly perfect display; and I had even timed the pictures to take advantage of ideal natural light.  But when I clicked the button, NOTHING CLICKED. 

I had just returned from Europe where I lugged my camera everywhere so I immediately concluded/panicked that it was destroyed.  I tried taking pictures on my iphone, which I suppose was fitting for my blogiversary since that was my original method of documentation back when I started blogging...but my photography standards have risen somewhat since then and I was just not happy with any of the photos.  So instead I retreated into my six-month hiatus from blogging and this recipe gathered dust.


Luckily dad saved my camera and I made my triumphant return to blogging.  I immediately arranged a new photo shoot for these cookies (it was such a hardship to have to make them again) and I was very happy with the pictures.  Then we encountered my second big delay: I went to Maui for two weeks and got lazy about blogging.  Oops.  This is why I am very thankful to Sarah for writing a post and jump-starting me back to Navy Blue Kitchen!  I have a backlog of other meals and pictures to share (including a post about Maui!) but I decided to prioritize this recipe.  Because you shouldn’t have to spend one more day of your life without nutella oozing from the middle of chocolate chip cookies.


NUTELLA STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
inspired by Jacques Torres
Click here to print 
makes about 25 cookies

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
Nutella
Sea salt.

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.  Put the nutella in the refrigerator at least two hours before assembling cookies so that it will be easier to work with.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

Scoop about 1/3 cup of dough and flatten in your hand.  Put about a teaspoon of nutella in the middle of the dough and then roll it in your hand to form the cookie into a ball.  Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.




3 comments:

  1. Oh yum, your cookies look divine!

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  2. Nutella and chocolate chip cookies seems like a match made in heaven! Love, love, love this idea.

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  3. I can just imagine the huge smile that would be on my face if I were biting into one of these cookies.

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