Nutella Cream Pies

by

I’m baa-aaaack.

I know, finally, right?

Sorry, I was MIA, friends, but seriously, I thought I was dying of the zombie plague or something.

I did have a mysterious scratch on my pinky for several days.

At first, I thought it was the infection point.

Turns out it was just a scratch and nothing more, though.

When I didn’t fade away and reanimate as one of the brain-starved walking dead, I figured I was just regular sick.

And clearly melodramatic.

I was really down for the count, though.

It probably wouldn’t have lasted so long if I hadn’t kept deciding I was all well again, and trying to function like a real human, only to become sweaty, dizzy, and nauseous again for the rest of the day.

I’m still only functioning at about 75% real life human, though, so I’m taking it easy for a little while longer.

The sick is about 90% gone, thank the Lords of Kobol (who can guess my new obsession???), but it spawned these demon back spasms from the depths of hell, and fighting those is really what has me moving like I’m part sloth.

Anyway, I’m all “whine, whine, whine,” when I’m sure what you really want to know about is those mouthwatering little beauties up there, huh?

I had a couple more New Year’s Eve treats to share with you all last week, but I just couldn’t get motivated enough to finish writing the posts. Sorry.

So I’m saving them for another appropriate occasion…or next New Year’s Eve…whichever comes first.

Instead, I got my butt in gear and made something new for you.

Since I’m still not top notch, I wanted to make something quick and easy, but something that is still a special treat.

I had a craving for Nutella one day, and decided to bake it into some kind of cookie. I’ve never baked with Nutella before, and I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to make until I thought of my oatmeal cream pie post.

Then I couldn’t stop thinking about a Nutella fluff filling.

And that (laziness combined with sickness rolled into a craving for Nutella and marshmallow fluff in the same treat), folks, is how one of the best cookies evah came into being.

**Vegan/dairy free substitutions included. Nutella is not vegan, but there are some linked alternatives.**

The cookie portion of these little devils is made up of just a few simple ingredients: all-purpose flour, Nutella (duh), sugar, brown sugar, unsalted butter, an egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.

I based the recipe on m peanut butter cookie recipe, and it tasted great the first time around, but the cookies came out super crunchy.

I realized that adding Nutella in place of the peanut butter also meant adding more sugar, so I cut the sugars in half and tried again. This time the cookies came out perfect. They’re crisp and sweet on the edges, and soft and fudgy in the centers. Plus, cutting the sugar made the chocolate and hazelnut flavors of the Nutella stand out more.

For baking the cookies, I stuck with what worked for my peanut butter cookies. I rolled tablespoonfuls of cookie dough into balls…

…then pressed them down with a fork.

In the end, you won’t be able to see the lattice design on these, but it helps to press these down before baking them, and this is a fast, easy way to do that.

If you have little hands that want to help, then rolling and pressing the cookies is perfect for them. As is the next step.

I wanted a little sugar on top of these, again like PB cookies, but I wanted it to be a little more impressive. I have Sugar in the Raw on hand to use in my tea, so I grabbed a few packets.

If you don’t have Sugar in the Raw, demerara sugar works beautifully, too. Or you can, of course, use regular granulated sugar.

Grab your little assistant, and have them dip or sprinkle each of the cookies so that they are coated with sugar on top.

Like so.

Then just bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, and let them cool while you make some really incredible delicious Nutella fluff filling for them.

These cookies are excellent on their own. They have a lovely texture, and they taste wonderful. They’re also a snap to make, and you can have them ready to serve in less than 40 minutes.

But if you want to take these to a whole new level, then the filling is a must. It’s a rich, sweet concoction of Nutella, marshmallow spread, a little sugar, a little butter, and some vanilla extract that is absolutely irresistible. It’s also fast and easy to make, like the cookies, so the great thing is that if you make this filling while the cookies are baking and cooling, then you can still have a fantastic, special treat in less than an hour.

I’m warning you now, though: if you made a resolution to eat less sweets this year, do not make these. Especially do not make this frosting. You won’t regret it…it’s too darn good for that, but you sure will ruin your resolution.

It’ll ruin it in all the ways a resolution should be ruined, but still.

I mean, just look at it… Soft, fluffy, sweet, chocolaty…it’s a little piece of heaven on earth. Really. Make it and see for yourself. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

These are such a wonderful spin on an old classic. They have the same great feel of a good old oatmeal cream pie, but with much more of a satisfy-the-chocolate-fiend-in-your-heart kind of taste. These can be whipped up, quick and easy, for a surprise after school snack that no one can say no to. Enjoy!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies [Printable Version]
Makes 2 dozen cookies, or 1 dozen sandwiches

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter, softened but still cool (margarine for vegan/dairy free)
1/4 brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg (1/4 cup applesauce for vegan/dairy free)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Nutella (Nutella is not vegan, as it contains whey, but there are several vegan recipes out there)

To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a small bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the egg (or applesauce) until combined. Add the Nutella and beat until well mixed. Stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture until combined.

Roll the dough into balls, one tablespoon at a time. Place the balls 2-inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.

Press each ball gently with a fork in one direction, then again in the opposite direction. Lightly sprinkle the cookies with sugar. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting or serving.

Nutella Fluff Frosting [Printable Version]
Makes just the right amount to fill 1 dozen sandwiches 😉

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (margarine for vegan/dairy free)
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup marshmallow spread  (vegan brand marshmallow spread, such as Suzanne’s Ricemellow Creme for vegan/dairy free)
1/2 cup Nutella (Nutella is not vegan, as it contains whey, but there are several vegan recipes out there)

To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Stir in the vanilla and pinch of salt. Mix in the marshmallow spread and Nutella, and whisk until light and fluffy. If the filling is too soft or runny, add more sugar as needed.

Assemble the sandwiches: Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling on the bottom of a cookie, then place another cookie, bottom side down, on top.

Recipes by Darla

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Comments

  3. says

    I love how you provide vegan alternatives for the non-vegan ingredients! That’s just so thoughtful and makes me even more keen on this recipe. 🙂 Looks great, and simple to make. Perfect.

  4. RobynR says

    Oh yum! Wish I was home so I could make these (staying with a celiac puts a crimp in baking wheat based goodies)
    Also, love your nail polish. So pretty!

  5. Debbie says

    Last night as I was reaching into the cupboard to pull out the Nutella, I saw my jar of Fluff and thought to myself, “What am I going to make with that?” And now I know. Glad you’re feeling better!

  10. says

    Aw being sick sucks, especially around the holidays. I love the cup and straw they’re seriously cute. Good thing I didn’t make any silly resolutions about not eating entire batches of cookies in one sitting otherwise I probably wouldn’t be able to make these. I have no will power and these look fabulous,,

  17. says

    I’m so glad to hear your feeling better! I’ve missed your posts, but I’m happy your back :). These Nutella Cream Pies look too good to be true. I didn’t make a New Years resolution to eat healthier, but if I did, I would break it for these!

  21. says

    I am a huge fan of Nutella and have been looking for a nutella cookie recipe that is soft in the center instead of crisp all the way through! I look forward to trying this! Thank you!

  24. says

    Mmm, the filling looks so creamy. Can I just make the filling and eat it out of the bowl without the cookies (even though I’m sure the cookies are just as delicious).

  25. Aurielle says

    Battlestar Galactica! Are you watching it on Netflix?! My boyfriend and I started it a few weeks ago and we just started the fourth and final season! So good!

  27. says

    Nutella doesn’t make it anywhere near my oven in my house(I use spoon to eat it, or a finger) but this is so tempting I might just buy a jar for this project. It smells delicious…I can tell, really I can tell.

  28. Rosa says

    Welcome back, Darla! This recipe looks A-MAAAA-ZING! I cannot wait to try it. Thanks for the post, and I hope you feel 100% better soon!

  34. AlleyKitten says

    Made these today for my nephews. They went down very well with everyone.
    You can’t get marshmellow spread in the UK so I had to improvise but anything involving Nutella has got to turn out well.

  35. Nicole says

    I just baked these wonderful cookies last night my and my boyfriends family and everyone had loved them! Thank you so much for the recipe!

  36. Kelley says

    I bought some Nutella to try this, but I ended up first using some for the filling for a king cake, and ended up eating too much right out of the jar with a spoon while it baked. Whoops.

  38. thudson says

    I made these tonight & they are fantastic! Kept a few for me & packed the rest to go to the office tomorrow so I don’t get carried away 😉 Thank you!

  41. Ashley says

    I made these today but the cookies turned out really flat and hard. Help!! They were still delicious but I prefer them to be really soft like oatmeal cream pies. I think I may have done something wrong,

  42. Ashley says

    I made these yesterday and they were a hit with my fiancé. However, they turned out a lot flatter than the picture. They also were pretty hard. Any suggestions on how to get these thicker and softer?!

    • says

      Hi Ashley, I’m sorry that your cookies didn’t work out right! My first tip is a simple one: make sure your baking powder is still good. Since baking powder sits on grocery shelves for some time before being purchased, it can go bad while siting in your cabinet…even if it isn’t very old. To test it, mix 1 teaspoon with 1/2 cup of hot water. It should bubble and fizz immediately. If it doesn’t, then you need to replace it. Hopefully, that’s the problem because it’s a super easy fix (I just had to replace my own after some other cookies turned out flat and crunchy when they shouldn’t have).

      If your baking powder is good, then it could be that your butter was too soft when you mixed everything. The butter should be soft enough to leave an indentation with your finger, but not so soft that you can easily squish into it. It should still be cool to the touch also. It’s also best to make cookies with cold eggs, and to use cooler dough when baking. When the dough becomes to warm, it spreads too much in the oven and more or less melts before it can get any loft and softness.

      I hope this is helpful!

      • sarah says

        Hi Darla,
        I am planning on making these next week. After reading the comments, however, I can’t help but to ask.. is there supposed to be baking powder in these? I see baking soda mentioned in the ingredients, but not baking powder and just want to make sure I’m not missing anything. Thanks!
        Sarah

  43. Kelli says

    Just got done making these!! Absolutely delicious! I’m in heaven – there
    should be a “Caution: refrain from eating spoonfuls of the nutella while baking because it may
    result in an upset stomach before you have the chance to try a pie!” haha but other than that they are
    wonderful!! 🙂 thanks for the idea!

  45. Tad says

    thanks! these are amazing! I made these for my wife for Valentine’s Day. I wrapped each sandwich in wax paper and wrote on each one what we did on each of our first 18 dates. I doubled the recipe and ended up with way more cookies and only enough filling for 18. So I think I was slightly off. ha ha. but they are soooooo yummy and as you can imagine, very well received! thanks so much!

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