Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies

Goodness Gracious, are these cookies yummy.  And pretty.  And have a great texture, crisp on the outside with a wonderfully chewy interior.  And they’re yummy.

This is the second recipe I’ve tried out of The Perfect Finish cookbook, and this one will absolutely be an offering at the shop when it opens.  I played with the Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Nutella recipe just slightly, incorporating Whole Wheat Pastry Flour in place of the all purpose flour, and adding a splash of milk so the dough wasn’t too dry.  Plus I added the sprinkle of sea salt, which I definitely think helped cut into the sweetness of the cookie a bit. But mixing some Nutella into the cookie batter?  Genius.

Yum.

Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies
adapted from The Perfect Finish by Bill Yosses

2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
8 Tblsp unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup Nutella
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped and reserved
splash of whole milk, if necessary
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
Coarse Sea Salt, for sprinkling

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.  Add the Nutella and beat until smooth.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla bean seeds.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.  If necessary, add milk, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough is crumbly or the flour isn’t able to mix in.  Stir in the chocolate chis and hazelnuts.  Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour.  Or alternatively, portion the dough at this point onto the baking sheets and either refrigerate for an hour, or freeze to use another time.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Portion dough onto cookie sheets, and sprinkle each with a bit of sea salt.  Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes for tablespoon-sized cookies, or 12-14 minutes for 1/4 cup-sized cookies (pictured).