Description
Delicious chocolate filled cookies featuring a tender, chewy dough encasing a gooey chocolate hazelnut center. These cookies combine the richness of butter and brown sugar with the deep flavor of espresso powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips, resulting in an indulgent treat perfect for any chocolate lover.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons honey
Chocolate Fillings
- 1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
- â…“ cup chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella)
Instructions
- Freeze the filling: Scoop teaspoon-sized amounts of chocolate hazelnut spread onto a parchment-lined plate and place them in the freezer for 30 minutes. To enhance gooeyness, add a tiny bit of honey to each scoop before freezing.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cornstarch, and espresso powder until well combined. This mixture ensures a tender texture and enhanced chocolate flavor.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, beat softened butter with brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, giving your dough richness and chewiness.
- Add eggs and flavorings: With the mixer on, add eggs one at a time, then beat in vanilla extract and honey. Continue mixing for another minute to combine.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep texture tender.
- Fold in chocolate chips: Gently incorporate chocolate chips evenly throughout the dough for consistent chocolate flavor in every bite.
- Assemble cookies: Remove frozen hazelnut chocolate scoops. Take 2 tablespoons of dough, flatten it, place a frozen chocolate scoop in the center, then top with 1 tablespoon more dough. Seal edges completely and roll into a ball.
- Arrange and bake: Place cookie balls 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes until edges are golden and centers appear slightly underdone. Immediately tap baking sheet on counter to create a crackled top.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely for perfect texture.
Notes
- Freezing the hazelnut spread is essential to prevent the filling from melting and to maintain a gooey center.
- Adding honey to the filling enhances softness even after cooling.
- Do not overmix dough to keep cookies tender and soft.
- Tap the baking sheet immediately after baking to create an attractive crackled topping.
- Spacing cookies at least 3 inches apart prevents them from sticking together during baking.
