Chocolate, Hazelnut and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Things have been pretty crazy lately, I am approaching the end of my first year back at work full time (after two years at home with Max), that in itself has kept me pretty busy but health wise our wee family has not been able to catch a break – Max in daycare and me at school means are surrounded by germs constantly. As I type I am chatting to my spot covered wee boy – I am off work the next few days thanks to the nasty case of chicken pox Max came down with at the end of last week.

It’s easy to lose your baking mojo when it seems like there are a million other things on the ‘to do list’ (well maybe not a million – but say 300 reports, no that is not an exaggeration that is how many kids I teach over the course of each week!). Mel and I were lucky enough to be invited to the Bluebell’s Cakery book launch a couple of weeks ago and the beautiful recipe book I purchased at the end of the evening has me feeling really inspired! I loved the look of the ‘Chunky Chocolate and Macadamia Bisucuits’ Karla has in the ‘Biscuits’ section of the book that is what inspired these cookies. I must say that time in the kitchen baking something yummy was just what I needed. These cookies are delicious, they even managed to put a smile on the face of my spotty dot!

Ingredients:
125g butter, softened
3 tablespoons Nutella
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1 egg
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup caster sugar
1½ cups flour
4 tablespoons cocoa
½ teaspoon baking soda
100g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
100g chocolate chips

Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with wax paper.
Cream the butter and Nutella in the bowl of your mixer until well combined and becoming light.
Beat in sugars until your mix is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as required.
Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
Sift in flour, cocoa and baking soda, mix on a low speed until just combined.
Fold through chocolate chips and hazelnut bits (if you want some on top of your cookies just keep a small amount of each aside).
Create ping pong sized balls of dough by rolling it between your hands and place on the lined baking tray, keep balls 8-10cm apart as they will spread. If you are adding nuts and choc chips to your tops place them and use the palm of your hand to flatten each cookie slightly.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are firm.
Once you remove them from the oven leave them on the tray for 2-5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.

These are definitely going to be be my go to cookie for the next wee while! They may even make it into some gift boxes for colleagues since we are approaching that time of year.

Nutella Truffles

As a kid I was a Nutella addict, it was my choice of spread for toast or sandwiches, I’d have it on a spoon straight out of the jar. As an adult… Well I still love it and have been wanting to incorporate it into something for the blog for a wee while now. I had a potluck dinner to go to over the weekend so whipped these up to take along as my contribution to dessert, sophisticated enough for adults but a taste that can be enjoyed by everyone!

Ingredients:
200 grams milk chocolate melts
200 grams Nutella
4 tablespoons cream
100 grams of oven roasted hazelnuts, crushed (skins removed)
6 round wine or other plain biscuits, crushed

Method:
Create a double boiler by placing a bowl over a pot of simmering water, ensuring that the bubbling water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
In your bowl place your milk chocolate and cream, stirring occasionally until it is combined.
Add the Nutella to your chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
Once combined, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly before putting it in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set (this could be done a day ahead).
While waiting for your chocolate to set you can make the coating for your truffles by placing the biscuits in a food processor and whizzing until they are rough crumbs. Place your hazelnuts in as well and whizz until they are finely chopped.
Spread the coating onto a large plate.
Remove your chocolate mix from the fridge and use a teaspoon to scoop out the mixture, roll in your hands to create balls and then roll in the hazelnut/biscuit mix to coat the outside.
Return to the fridge in an airtight container for at least 30 minutes before serving. These could be stored in the fridge in an air tight container for up to a week but I really don’t see them lasting that long in anyone’s household!

Chocolate Hazelnut Slice

This slice is mega rich – it’s almost too much for me.  Simon took some to work and he was asked where he brought it from.  My brother around and told me my parents wondered the same thing (I gave him some yesterday).  I think that is a bit funny because I thought it didn’t look the best – I used Cadbury Energy chocolate for my dark chocolate layer and it melted strangely.  It went like a paste rather than a lovely liquid, so I had to press it over the milk chocolate nut layer.  Then, that meant I wanted this unsightly layer covered so I spread the milk and white chocolate over the top to try hide it, rather than doing decorative drizzles. 

Update 4/12/11:
I’ve just made this slice again to take to a baby shower and decorated the top differently.  I’ve take a few new pictures and added them to this post - they are the ones where the slice is sitting on a green and white plate.

To make this slice you will need:

250g plain chocolate biscuits
¾ cup roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
155g unsalted butter, melted
395g can sweetened condensed milk
375g milk eating chocolate, chopped coarsely
315g dark eating chocolate, chopped coarsely
15g unsalted butter, extra
30g white eating chocolate, melted

Grease a 20cm x 30cm rectangular tin.  Line the base and long sides with baking paper. 
Process biscuits and ¼ cup of the nuts until fine.  Add butter, process until combined.  Press mixture over the base of the pan.  Refrigerate about 20 minutes or until firm.
Combine condensed milk and 345g of the milk chocolate in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until smooth.  Stir in the remaining nuts.  Quickly spread the the chocolate mixture over the biscuit base.
Combine the dark chocolate and the extra butter in a small saucepan; stir over a low heat until smooth.  Spread over the milk chocolate layer.
Melt the remaining milk chocolate.  Drizzle the milk and white chocolate over the slice.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.

*Slice will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.