Easy chocolate hazelnut cookies - small batch, in a flash

It's the day after Valentine's Day and I found myself in the kitchen making chocolate cookies.  We seriously don't need more chocolates or treats after indulging (more than usual) the day before but I couldn't help myself.  I got my hands on Christina Lane's latest book, Sweet & Simple, and these chocolate hazelnut cookies were just too easy and promising to resist.  In my defense, it takes hardly any work and results in a very reasonable 6 cookies, which are sure to vanish quickly.

I hope you had a sweet Valentine's Day!  I loved seeing all the expressions of love and chocolate everywhere leading up to it.  And speaking of things I love - I'm a big fan of small-batch baking and while I often just scale down recipes/divide them in half, I adore so many of Christina's recipes from her books and her blog, Dessert for Two! I've made many of her recipes - both sweet and savory, often on repeat. So I was eager to dig into her latest book, and it didn't disappoint.  It's got all the straight-forward, simple recipes for small-batch baking that I've come to love.  

So despite our tummies being sufficiently filled with chocolates and biscuits (and with more standing by in our cupboards), I made room for these cookies, which are seriously easy and fast to make.  Follow the recipe exactly and you only need 6 ingredients (Nutella/chocolate-hazelnut spread, sugar, egg, flour, chocolate chips, and salt for sprinkling), a few minutes to mix everything up, and 10 minutes in the oven. I had time to "complicate" matters slightly...

I decided to add some chopped toasted hazelnuts into the dough along with the chocolate chips (I used miniature ones).  I always keep a jar of mixed nuts in the kitchen to snack on everyday so I just went and pilfered some of the hazelnuts for these cookies (I was in the mood for some extra texture and I think nuts help balance the sweetness).  Instead of all-purpose flour, I used white whole wheat flour (these cookies are so moist, they can take it) and rather than sprinkling the baked cookies with sea salt on top, I added a pinch into the dough. 

In a flash - I had 6 fudgy, moist, chocolate-hazelnut cookies on my counter. They are chewy and sticky (my husband likened it to marzipan), and on the sweet side so the hazelnuts were a welcome addition of texture and flavor as a bit of a contrast. Because these cookies are so fudgy in the center (thanks to the chocolate-hazelnut spread), you might want to be a little patient and allow the cookies to cool and firm up fully before removing them from the baking sheet.  

My husband brought home some sweet strawberries for me on Valentine's night (incidentally, I took a few and dipped them in dark chocolate; they were so good and easy to do, making me wonder why I'd never done it before!).  And so I thought a few strawberries with one or two of these cookies would make a well-balanced snack/dessert.  I hope you agree.

I don't know about you but I find a recipe that hardly requires any advance planning, that you can mix together in a bowl without any special equipment, and be done in a flash, to be hard to resist.  If such a recipe involves chocolate and/or cookies, I'll surely be in the kitchen.

You really can make these cookies in a flash.  Place chocolate hazelnut spread, sugar, and an egg into a bowl and start mixing it together with a sturdy spatula or spoon. Next, I added white whole wheat flour with a pinch of salt, stirring until almost combined.  Then finally, I stirred in mini chocolate chips and a slightly smaller amount of chopped toasted hazelnuts (the nuts are my optional addition; I think it works really well here but if you can certainly omit it).

Scoop the cookies into 6 mounds.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. They should be set but will be soft to the touch.

I let the cookies cool on the baking sheet on top of a wire rack until firm enough to remove.  You know what to do next...eat!  Or set them aside to share with your loved ones, preferably both.

These were both easy and fun to make and eat - great paired with a strong cup of tea or coffee.  It will appeal to those with a sweet tooth who like a moist and chewy cookie.  

I must admit that I also saw David Lebovitz post some very tempting chocolate-chocolate chip cookies that I am eager to make now as well!  It's a good thing we have so much room in our hearts and tummies for chocolate cookies!  Again, I hope you agree.

Recipe: 

Easy Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies 
Adapted from Sweet & Simple: Dessert for Two by Christina Lane

- Makes 6 cookies - 

1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
Scant 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped into similar size as mini chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

Place chocolate hazelnut spread, sugar, and egg together in a medium-bowl and stir together with a spoon or sturdy rubber spatula (do not use a mixer).  Add flour and salt, stirring until almost incorporated.  Mix in the chocolate chips and hazelnuts (if using) until just combined.  

Scoop out six mounds of cookie dough onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.

Bake for 10 minutes.  The cookies will be set but still soft.  Let cookies cool on the baking sheet set on top of a wire rack until set.  Remove from baking sheet onto a wire rack.  Enjoy at your leisure!