Brown Butter Nutella Crunch Cookies

Brown Butter Nutella Crunch Cookies - made dough May 9, 2021 from Toasty Oasis 

Much as I love Rice Krispie treats, especially the cookie butter version, the most First World problem with them is I never use up the whole box of Rice Krispies to make them. So I'm left with a partial box that isn't enough to make another batch of Rice Krispie treats but are too much to throw away (which I wouldn't do anyway as my Filipino upbringing would abhor wasting even 1 puffed grain of rice). Yet if I don't use them soon enough, they'll go stale.

I don't know why I never thought of using them in cookie recipes sooner or more often. I think I just had a one-track (or two-track) mind that they could only be used in Rice Krispie treats or my Nutella Crunch brownies. I don't eat them as straight cereal; I only bake with them. Enter Nutella Crunch Cookies.

These turned out pretty well because, well, Nutella.... As with all sandwich cookies, err on the side of making these small since you'll be eating two of them as a sandwich cookie. I also took the precaution of flattening them slightly to start their baking from a disc shape rather than a round bake. It helps with more even baking and increases your chances of ending up with a more uniform shape.

True to their title, they do have some crunch, both from the Rice Krispies in the dough but also in the texture of the cookie itself. You still don't want to overbake though. You don't want the texture of a crisp Oreo or the blackened look of one either.

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and browned

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, cold from refrigerator

1 cup Nutella

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal (45 grams)

1. In a mixing bowl, pour hot melted browned butter over granulated sugar and brown sugar and stir to combine. Whisk in vanilla extract then eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Stir in Nutella, mixing until combined and smooth,
2. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter-Nutella mixture in two additions, stirring to combine after each addition. Fold in crispy rice cereal.
3. If dough is too warm or soft to portion out, cover and chill for 30 minutes. Then portion into golf-ball-size dough balls, cover and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and evenly space dough balls. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until edges have set and middles no longer look raw. Let rest on cookie sheet for several minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Sandwich with Nutella if desired.