Nutella Sugar Cookies

Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas Gluttony!

I love sugar cookies during the holidays but I absolutely HATE making them.  They are so labour intensive, not because of the baking itself but all the decorating involved!  You have to pipe this and that, make all sorts of icing colours, buy tons of sprinkles blah blah blah.  I remember one year I made a sugar cookie Christmas tree for Mr. Piglet's family that took hours - making several Christmas tree cookies, decorated and mounted onto sticks and then placed so they formed a Christmas tree in the planting pot...  when I brought it out, I was so proud of myself.  When they ate it entirely in under 10 minutes, I vowed never to make it again.  Well, the holidays are here again but this year, the sugar cookie is twisted into something less labour intensive and much more tasty.  Enjoy!

Tools Needed:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Parchment paper and/or silpat baking mat
• Cookie sheets
• Wire cooling racks
• Large bowl
• Electric mixer or large bowl with hand mixer
• Sifter or fine mesh sieve
• Spatula
• Small bowl

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of Nutella or homemade Nutella
• 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup cane sugar
• 14 tablespoons of butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup cane sugar (optional for topping)

Directions:

1.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and using a teaspoon, spoon Nutella and place into small mounds on the parchment paper.  Place into freezer for at least 15 minutes.

2.  In large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

3.  In an electric mixer, cream together the 1 1/4 cups of sugar and butter until the mixture is light and airy, about 5-6 minutes.  Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined.

4.  Slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture with a spatula until thoroughly combined.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

5.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat baking mats.  Set aside.

6.  Remove dough from the fridge and split dough into smaller portion using 2 tablespoons per cookie.  Roll dough portions into balls and flatten into a disk about 1 cm thick.  Remove Nutella from the freezer and place one portion of Nutella into each cookie disk and sprinkle with sea salt.  If the Nutella starts to soften and starts becoming difficult to remove from the parchment paper, place it back in the freezer for a few moments.

7.  Pour 1/3 cup sugar into a small bowl.  Fold up the dough and roll into a ball so that the Nutella is in the center and sealed with dough.  Roll cookie ball in the sugar and place onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2-3 inches of space between each ball.

8.  Bake for 10-14 minutes or until the edges brown slightly.  Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

9.  Eat and enjoy!

(Recipe adapted from the Cookin Canuck)