The Great Cookie Swap of 2012

Holidays mean cookies.  Which might be a great idea, except I have never really been a huge cookie fan.  Except if they are giant cookies from New York City or mini cookie-press cookies.  Seriously.  Have you ever had those little things?  How can you not eat 18 in one sitting?  I remember growing up and decorating cookies with my mom and brothers.  Of course I always ended up with more frosting on my face than on the cookies, but that’s how we all do it, right?

Now if my nostalgia doesn’t get to you the rest of the year it must annoy you now.  I love Christmas.  So much.  I decorated my apartment before Thanksgiving.  And I love the way it smells, just the way Yankee Candle tells you Christmas is supposed to smell.  I am all for traditions.  And Nutella is an awesome one at that.  Is it really a holiday tradition if your obsession lasts all year?  Maybe more of an essential element to my life.  I’ve professed my love for Nutella before.  And even shared my love of Nutella ganache, so this is nothing new here.  But combining it with my new favorite spread?  Yeah, let’s start that tradition pronto.

But these cookies.  They just exude Christmas.  They are sweet and spicy and the Nutella adds the cozyness of your favorite winter blanket.  Which is perfect because these cookies are just the ones to share with friends.  Which is exactly what I did.  I signed up for The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap and was so excited to receive a bunch amazing cookies to enjoy.  Between the Peanut Butter Oatmeal Thumbprints, delicious biscotti, and the most amazing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies I have ever had in my entire life, what more do I need in life?  Maybe some awesome person to help me eat these cookies.  Oh wait.  Amazing boyfriend who just happens to love cookies.  Winner.

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I mailed my cookies out to 3 lovely ladies and am so excited to read their blog posts.  These cookies may have to be included in the holiday baking rotation.  From the cinnamon-sugar coating to the Biscoff flavors and the smooth Nutella I am seriously in love.  Tweaked my recipe for simple peanut butter cookies to include Biscoff spread instead and they turned out a bit more crisp than I had intended.  After tasting the cookies post-ganaching I felt that this crunchy cookies were perfect with the gooey Nutella.  I am loving these flavors and seriously hoping my blogger friends are too.

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Biscoff Nutella Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup Biscoff spread (or cookie butter)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup cinnamon-sugar (for rolling dough)

Nutella Ganache

  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup of nutella
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

  • Heat oven to 375°F.
  • Combine sugar, brown sugar, butter and Biscoff spread in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg, vanilla and salt; continue beating until well combined.
  • Add flour and baking soda. Beat at low speed, until well mixed, then increase speed to combine all ingredients.
  • Shape dough into 1-inch balls. (If dough is too soft, refrigerate 30-60 minutes.) Roll balls in 1/4 cup cinnamon-sugar.  Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets and press down to 1 inch circles.
  • Bake 8-10 minutes or until very lightly golden brown. Immediately press thumb into center to create ½ – ¾ inch well in center of cookie.  Allow to cool completely.
  • While cookies are cooling, prepare ganache: prepare nutella in small mixing bowl.  Heat cream in medium saucepan, just until it starts to boil.  Pour hot cream into ganache and mix until completely incorporated.  Add butter and continue to mix.  Place in refrigerator to cool ganache.
  • Pipe (or spoon) small amount of nutella ganache into well.
  • Place in refrigerator to allow ganache to set.
  • Eat them all up!

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