Twelve Days of Chocolate - Nutella Cookies

Remember the first time your Mom made you a Nutella sandwich, and how you felt like you had won some sort of kid lottery? This amazing chocolaty spread has made children smile since 1963. Now you can help make us smile by trying and donating these cookies to the Death by Chocolate Bake Sale.

As you know, we're counting down to the Brooks Friends of the library Death by Chocolate Bake Sale with the Twelve Days of Chocolate. Every day from now until May 12 we will be giving you a new chocolate recipe every day to tempt and inspire you. Each of these recipes come from magazines that are currently available for check out from the Brooks Public Library.

Today's nutty surprise comes from Vegetarian Times. You can check this magazine out from the Brooks Public Library or at vegetariantimes.com.

Nutella Cookies

Makes 36 cookies

(Nutella, the creamy chocolate-hazelnut spread, does double duty as dough ingredient and frosting here.)      

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup Nutella, plus more for frosting cookies
• 4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp. hazelnut extract, optional
• 36 whole blanched hazelnuts, for garnish

1. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in bowl.

2. Beat Nutella and butter with electric mixer until smooth and combined. Beat in brown sugar, then egg and hazelnut extract, if using. Beat in flour mixture with mixer on low speed until dough forms.

3. Transfer dough to large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Shape dough into 2-inch-diameter log with plastic wrap. Wrap tightly, and chill 2 hours, or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Slice dough log into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rolling log 90 degrees between slices to keep edges round. Transfer slices to greased or parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, or until cookies are firm and dry. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

5. Frost each cookie with 1/2 tsp. Nutella, and garnish with 1 hazelnut.

---
And remember, the Death by Chocolate Bake Sale is happening Saturday May 12, 10:00am to 2:00pm at the Brooks Royal Canadian Legion. If you wish to donate some of your baking please give Gloria a call at 403-362-3295.