Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies - made June 29, 2013 from The Bite-Sized Baker

Back to the recipes....  I had made these cookies as the cookie layer of Fudgy Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars but that layer was so good I needed to make the cookies as standalone as they were meant to be. Stuffed with Nutella of course.  It was really hot when I made these and that actually makes working with cookie dough a little tricky, even when you're wont to freeze the dough before baking like I always do.  I never bother letting butter come to room temperature because by then it'll be too soft and greasy to work with and the cookies will spread.  Instead, I take it from refrigerator to stand mixer and beat it until it's creamy enough not to have any more lumps but not so well beaten that it's softened and warm.

If it's hot where you are, definitely chill your nutella before using it or it'll be hard to keep neat when "stuffing" inside the cookie dough.  Technically you're supposed to pat out the cookie dough to a disk, put a dollop of nutella in the middle then close/pinch the cookie dough around it, encasing the nutella completely.  But my kitchen was hot, the dough was warm, the nutella was liquid-y so I had the devil's own time trying to "stuff" the cookie dough properly without nutella leaking out all over the place.  Instead, I chilled the dough and the nutella briefly but since I didn't have a lot of time, I ended up using my mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms to make these: I made a shell in each cavity of cookie dough, dropped a dollop of nutella in the middle then covered/sealed the top with more cookie dough.  Pushing up from the bottom of the pan meant the stuffed cookies came out easily and went straight to the freezer to chill before baking.  I ended up with bigger cookie dough "balls" than I was aiming for but I could live with that.  If you want to make them smaller, try using mini muffin tins: fill all the cavities then turn over and tap them out all at once.

One other tip for stuffed cookies is to use mini chocolate chips.  I used regular-size chips and they were harder to work with in the dough because they kept getting in the way of shaping and stuffing.  Mini chips would have been easier.  However, despite all of those logistics, the baked result was worth all the trouble. Crisp edges, gooey middle, excellent flavor. Be forewarned that these are rich cookies.  Almost too rich so making them small might not be a bad idea.  But if you like thick, chunky, decadently rich cookies, this is a winner.

2¼ cup all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon of salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt (I substituted sour cream)
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½  cup chocolate chips (I recommend using mini chocolate chips)
1 jar of Nutella, chilled in refrigerator
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling, if desired

1. In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda, and salt until combined. In a saucepan over medium heat, brown butter and set aside to cool.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt (or sour cream) until incorporated. Gradually add the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Place cookie dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours to let the flavors meld together.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll 1½ tablespoons of dough and flatten the dough to make a flat circle. Place 1 teaspoon of chilled Nutella in the middle then place another flat circle of cookie dough on top. Crimp edges to seal.
5. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and bake 9-11 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown and middles no longer look raw.
6. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired and let cool on wire racks.