Wednesday 17 December 2014

Nutella Chocolate Chunk Cookies



Moving on with my stock clearance exercise, it is a really great excuse to bake some cookies! This time it is Nutella. Two bottles of it with bits of hazelnut chocolaty goodness sticking at the bottom and sides. Do you know what expired Nutella smells like?


It has an awful fishy smell. If you look above, one of the Nutella already expired on 07-11-2014 but it smelt and tasted OK. So I used it. I believe that the expiry date in this particular case is not on the dot but there is a margin of error so that consumers can still use the product by a certain time after the date of expiry.


The recipe I am using is from Diana of The Domestic Godess Wannabe but instead of chocolate chips, I am using Cadbury mini diary milk chocolate just for the fun of it. And no, these tiny chocolate pieces are not from my stash of kiddo bait. I purposely bought these to bake my cookies.


What I did was I broke the chocolate into smaller pieces and then mixed them into the cookies batter.


I used a small ice-cream scoop instead of teaspoons to scoop the batter. That's because I was pressed for time and it was a lot faster using the ice cream scoop. I got bigger cookies and these were all baked in two batches. Has I used teaspoons, I reckon I would have had to bake in 4 batches.

Before.

Since these are big cookies, I baked the first batch for 20 minutes, turning the baking tray at half-time for even baking. These cookies spread out quite a bit and it was good that I allowed for more space between the cookies dough.

After.

The cookies were quite browned after 20 minutes just the way I like it. I love my cookies crunchy and not chewy. These cookies were crunchy but the center was a bit soft but that was alright with me.

This is why we need to space them out more.

With my second batch, I tried to squeeze in all the batter which was not a good move at all. My cookies got fused together and I had to separate them. Of course the shape wasn't nice but it was OK because I was baking for myself.


Once the cookies were cooled, it was time to have a taste. They smelled pretty good. I mean Nutella and chocolate, what could go wrong, right?

Chomp! Hmmm..nice, crunchy.

It was crispy and crunchy with rich chocolaty taste. But the chocolate bits were not visible though the taste was there. I think I may have to double the amount of chocolate.

Chomp! Chomp!

But I have one complaint. Even though Diana already reduced the sugar by half (100g from 212.50g), the cookies were still way too sweet for me. I cannot imagine what they would be like with the full amount of sugar. I will reduce  the sugar further in my next bake. 


Mission accomplished with the Nutella. And guess what? I stil have a big bottle (325g) in my kitchen cupboard. But no worries, that one still has a long way to go till expiry. I'm thinking Nutella cake, what say you?










Nutella Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients :
- 115g butter (salted), at room temperature
- 100g caster sugar (I find this too sweet, to reduce to 50g in future)
- 165g self-raising flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 65g Nutella
- 110g Cadbury mini chocolate, broken into smaller pieces (to increase chocolate pieces, maybe 150g?)

Method :
1. Preheat oven to 160C
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper
3. In a mixing bowl, cream butter until soft
4. Add sugar and beat until soft and fluffy
5. Add in vanilla, egg and Nutella. Mix well.
6. Add in flour and mix until just incorporated.
7. Add in chocolate pieces.
8. Use a small ice-cream scoop to scoop cookie dough and place onto tray and leave about 2 inch space between the dough.
9. Bake for 20 minutes, turning tray halfway at half-time. 

43 comments:

  1. Morning Phong Hong..... what a great morning to see beautiful cookies here. Wish I could some from you for my breakfast now.

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    1. Mel, I wish I could share some with you!

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  2. You have my mailing address? Christmas is just round the corner, next week!!!

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    1. You haven't given it to me yet muahahaha!!!

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  3. oh so chocolatey so hazelnut and so Nutella!! I like this!! I like the combination of hazelnut and chocolate!! the cookies looks good and great for the festive huh?? but slightly not what I have expected when I read the title.. maybe because of the one I saw in supermarket that I feel so wanted to buy yet too expensive, it keeps haunting me in my mind, muahaha!! the one I saw has got a layer of Nutella cream/filling (errr, dunno the baking terms but please accept my layman term) in the center of the cookie, aiyoh, like so tempting~~

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    1. something like this.. maybe you have baked this before?? :)

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    2. Haiyooo!!! The one you showed me is super awesome! Makes my cookies look so chiakai. Wait, let me get my hands on the recipe then I make :)

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    3. yes, bake it and then poslaju me a jar!! dijamin sampai esok, muahahahaha!! :D
      *hint hint* *wink wink*

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    4. I ask Santa Claus to send to you :D

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  4. Good morning dear pie.. OMG, am so so so so gonna bookmark this.. In fact, I've just snapped the recipe using my camera already.. Good idea to use an ice-cream scoop, I know they would be difficult to work with hands.. Have you tried rolling using hands first? Eh I LOVE LOVE LOVE those Cadbury mini chocolate squares, I can eat it just like that in front of the TV la.. Ok, on your last sentence (or was it a question?), I would say: Go take a spoon and scoop those Nutella and *ngap* into your mouth! Yummzzz..

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    1. Louiz, I am going to bake some more cookies this weekend. Don't know why suddenly got mood for cookies hee..hee... I think rolling by hand is better because the one using ice-cream scoop (it is a small ice cream scoop) makes big cookies. Smaller is better because can just pop into the mouth. Hmmm... I like to eat Nutella out of the bottle but that's too fattening lah!

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  5. Morning dear Phong Hong...

    Wah, kalau crunchy I suka! This time, you bait the kids dengan your cookies pulak, not with chocolates. Hahaha.. Mesti semua bagi you bigggggg huggggs!!! Hahaha

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    1. Mama, yang ni very sorry, budak-budak takder chance. Dahsyat kan? hee..hee...

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  6. Haha how can u have surplus of Nutella in your house? Call me next time u need help sapuing it all.. I'll bring my kids hahaha with a spoon each!

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    1. Yen, actually I'm surprised too hah..hah...

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  7. Hi Phong Hong, I have bookmarked this recipe to do, too. Keeping it for CNY bakes, hehehe! I like crunchy, crispy cookies...

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    1. Kimmy, do reduce the sugar as it is still too sweet. But the crunch is there and the taste is good.

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  8. Maybe you can add some chocolate chips next time round? I don't like cookies very much except my Cookie, of course *wink*!!

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    1. Chocolate chips is better or those regular dark semi-sweet chocolate chopped into chunks :) Yeah I know you love the Cookie that goes meow!

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  9. I'm not too worried using a product (depend on what also la..) after its expiry. But not too long. :)

    Nutella...
    I love 'em :)

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    1. Me too, Lina. I used to throw away but now I check first. If still can eat, I will.

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  10. Phong Hong, this is just nice for Christmas celebration. Ohhh...so tempting, just wanting to chomp, chomp on your cookies...haha just like you wrote below your cookies pic...

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    1. Nancy, that's what I like to do while watching TV hah..hah..

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  11. Hee hee ... I thought you would pipe some icing and made those fused cookies look like Mickey Mouse ^-^ I know your Nutella Chocolate Chunk Cookies are very addictive ! Oh Nutella cake is nice and yummy too !

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    1. Karen, ya hor? I never thought of that hah..hah...

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  12. Nutella is a favourite of many people so your cookies and future cake will be a hit.

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  13. I still have Nutella at home. Going to bake this for Christmas ~~ thank you, PH :)

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  14. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, reminds me of the American "biscuits". And.. definitely go for the Nutella cake! Go go go!!

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  15. I also don't think the expiry date means too much in most cases. I'm glad you got to use up your Nutella on these cookies though! This looks so good!

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  16. Phong Hong, I can imagine how choco tasting these cookies are with the nutella and calbury chos in them! These makes wonderful xmas gifts for those choco lovers!

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    1. Janice, you are right! Just pack them in a bottle with a red ribbon. No need to go out shopping for gifts :)

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  17. Hi Phong Hong,

    I can tell that you love Nutella. Me too :p Yayyyyyy!!! ok ok... Let's keep calm first. Enjoy these cookies then bake with Nutella again. Nutella cake??? Yes, please!

    Zoe

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  18. Anything with Nutella is an 'on' to me xD

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  19. i was telling zoe that you are a butter lady when she made her biscottis with butter....and i can declare you are also a nutella lady...haha! nutella cake, bring it on!

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    1. hee..hee.. Lena, butter and Nutella are very explosive ingredients. Kapow!!

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