Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Is it possible to improve upon a chocolate chip cookie?  This recipe answers that question with an emphatic “Yes!”  The original idea from Bread & Butter included bananas, but I left that out since I wasn’t sure how people would react to banana in their chocolate chip cookies.  But her idea of putting a dollop of Nutella in the middle of each cookie – genius.  I started off putting a bit too much Nutella in the thumbprint, which led to a few of them falling apart.  So just use a light hand with the Nutella.  Oozing out the top is a-ok; not so much when it’s coming through the bottom of the cookie.

Dennis moved these to the top of his favorite cookie list, the sort of comment that makes my heart go aflutter.  Make these for family, for co-workers, for friends, for yourself.  Just make them.

Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Bread & Butter)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Nutella

Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper or Silpat.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough by the spoonful onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Put a small thumbprint in each cookie, then drop in some Nutella.  Cover up the Nutella with some more cookie dough, pressing lightly so it adheres to the bottom part.

Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.