Salted Nutella Cookies + Cuina Baking Mat Giveaway

Disclosure: I received this product as part of an advertorial.

Ever since a friend of mine brought over some amazing nutella brownies a couple weeks ago, I've been dying to make a dessert of my own with the addictive chocolate hazelnut spread.  With a little research, I discovered that you don't have to add many things to nutella to make a delicious brownie batter or cookie dough.  You can even make gluten-free nutella brownies with just three ingredients.  However, I decided to make cookies--I was craving something that was both chewy and crunchy, and wanted another chance to use my Cuina silicone baking mat.

I was almost all set to make these cookies--I just needed a jar of nutella.  So, in case you were wondering, here is how to spend most of your day on a desperate search for chocolate hazelnut spread:

1. Wake up and tell your boyfriend he can take the car to work, since it's your spring break and all you really have to do all day is make cookies.

2. After he leaves, immediately regret your decision when you remember you need to go out and buy nutella for the cookies.

3. Eat some leftover bacon & sweet potato chili with a fried egg on top for breakfast, while wondering if there's any way to get nutella delivered to your home.  You decide there probably isn't.

4. Call your mom to see if she wants to come over for lunch, and perchance bring a jar of nutella.  She's busy. 

5. Walk to the Vietnamese grocery store around the corner, and scour every aisle looking for nutella.  Wonder how a place that carries Milo, Ovaltine, and Cafe du Monde chicory coffee can neglect to carry this international superstar of a spread.  Ask the checkout lady if they sell nutella, and receive a blank stare.  Pick up a few other ingredients for another dish you're working on.  

6. Go back home to put away the other groceries, and call Rite Aid to see if THEY sell nutella.  They do.

7. On the way there, decide to check another small grocery store for nutella, since you don't feel like walking all the way to Rite Aid.  When rounding the corner at the end of one of the aisles, you come upon a little girl who looks up at you and says, "Wow, you are TALL!"  There's no nutella.  Not even for tall people.

8.  Walk half a mile to Rite Aid and buy nutella, then walk home.  By this time it's raining.

9.  Make cookies, finally.  They are amazing.  Eat one from each cookie sheet, just for quality control.

10.  Take a million pictures.

In the end, my search was definitely worth it.  These cookies are so good--crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and nice and fudgy.  The sea salt on top makes them even better.   I can't stop with the salty desserts!  Next time I think I'll try making my own paleo nutella, and see how that works in these cookies.

I loved using my Cuina baking mat for this recipe.  If you don't have one yet, I highly recommend getting one (or two).  I thought I was onto something great when I discovered parchment paper, but these mats are even better since you can wash & reuse them.  They're completely nonstick without any oil or spray, and they keep your sheet pans nice and clean.  In addition to using my mat for these cookies, I also used it to roast cauliflower for this roasted cauliflower with creamy cilantro pesto.  After baking with the mat, I just wash it off with a little soap and warm water and hang it up to dry.

The folks at Cuina Kitchen are giving away one of these awesome silicone mats!  See the Rafflecopter widget below the recipe to enter.

Salted Nutella Cookies
Yield: 12-14 cookies
Prep time: 5 minutes, plus 30 minutes to freeze the dough
Bake time: 12 minutes

Ingredients (adapted from Ambitious Kitchen):

1 cup nutella
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips, optional (I used about half of a Lindt 70% bar, chopped)
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (I used Maldon)

Preheat the oven to 350, and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Mix together all the ingredients except for the chocolate chunks and flaky sea salt until well incorporated.  Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place them on a plate.  If you are using chocolate chunks, press a few of them into the top of each ball.  Put the plate of dough balls in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Place the dough balls several inches apart on the baking sheets (I placed six cookies on each sheet) and bake for about 12 minutes, until just set in the middle.  After removing the cookies from the oven, sprinkle each one with a bit of sea salt.  Let the cookies cool completely on the pan, then enjoy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a free Cuina baking mat using Tomoson.com.  As always, all opinions are my own, and I only recommend products I use and enjoy. 

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