I did not mean for these cookies to turn out as big as they did. They really do spread when baked. I tried to find something to put one against in order to give you some idea of their enormous proportions, but the best I could come up with was another cookie of a more traditional size.
See? Gigantic. Almost as big as my face!
When I have made them in the past I have scooped the dough with a small ice-cream scoop and baked straight away. The results have been a normal sized cookie.
This time round I formed the dough into a sausage wrapped in cling-film and refrigerated it, thinking that it would maybe curtail the spreading and I would get a slightly thicker cookie.
Nope. These babies still spread no matter what you do. Therefore I wouldn’t bother putting the dough in the fridge. Because it makes no difference to the end result.
Of course if you want cookies the size of your face, put a bigger dollop of dough on the baking sheet. Simples.
Back in the days of yore, when I had a little market stall, these cookies were always a hit. I think it was because 1) Everyone knows Nutella, 2) Everyone knows what Nutella tastes like, and 3) Everyone likes Nutella. Triple win.
So what better way to mark the occasion that is World Nutella Day (which is today, incase you were wondering) than with these cookies.
They are easy to make, crisp at the edges, soft and chewy in the middle. And may or may not be big enough to use as a dinner plate. Or, possibly more appropriately, a receptacle for ice cream.
If you really want to go all out on the Nutella front you could even sandwich them together with the stuff. Or this homemade version from earlier in the week.
Nutella Cookies
Ingredients:
- 130g Nutella
- 110g unsalted butter, softened
- 50g caster sugar
- 50g coconut sugar, or soft light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 70g rice flour
- 30g arrowroot starch
- 63g ground almonds
- 7g flax-meal
- 20g cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 Celsius / 160 fan / 350 Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
- Cream together the Nutella, butter and sugars until pale and fluffy.
- Add the egg and beat in well.
- Add the remaining ingredients and beat well until fully incorporated.
- Scoop out using either a small ice-cream scoop or a teaspoon. Make sure to space them well apart as they will spread during baking.
- Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until firm on the edges but still soft in the middle.
- Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an air-tight container.
Notes:
The rice flour, arrowroot starch, ground almonds and flax-meal can be replaced with a plain gluten-free flour blend if you wish.
To make larger cookies simply use a large ice-cream scoop of tablespoon to scoop the dough out with.
The dough can be frozen – scoop small balls of the dough onto a baking sheet and place in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up. Once fully chilled transfer into a freezer bag and freeze. Whenever the urge for a cookie comes upon you, remove the required number of dough balls and bake for 10 – 15 minutes from frozen.
© The Pink Rose Bakery 2015
The Pink Rose Bakery 