Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints

I love Nutella. I mean, I really love Nutella. And because today is a holiday - the last one for a long time - I decided to try out this recipe for chocolate hazelnut thumbprint cookies.

I have to say that I was a little disappointed. This was the first time I've made thumbprint cookies, so this might be the norm, but when the cookies baked, the little dents for the Nutella practically disappeared. I used my Teflon thumbs and poked them back down as soon as I took them out of the oven, while they were still hot.

Due to pantry limitations, the fact that it is snowing AGAIN and I didn't want to go to the store and the fact that I hate coffee flavored things, I made the following changes to the recipe; I left out the espresso powder since it was optional, and I did not have the nuts to roll the cookies in. This might make me like the cookie more, so I'll give it another try when I have hazelnuts.

Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints

Yield: 28 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)

Ingredients

• 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup hazelnut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt; stir with a whisk. Place butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Stir egg yolks with a whisk, adding espresso, if desired. Add the yolk mixture and vanilla to butter; beat well. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat at low speed just until combined.

3. Turn dough out onto a sheet of wax paper; knead 6 times or until smooth and shiny. Shape dough into 28 (1-inch) balls. Roll sides of balls in nuts, pressing gently. Arrange balls 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press thumb into center of each cookie, leaving an indentation. Bake, 1 batch at a time, at 350° for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks. Spoon a scant 1/2 teaspoon hazelnut-chocolate spread into center of each cookie.