Caramel Mocha Hazelnut Cookies

So these cookies were kind of a last minute idea, I had a different recipe to do for June that I wasn’t too stoked about it. But then I came up with this one and I was much more into it so I decided to postpone the other recipe and go with his one instead.

But then this recipe ended up being much more finicky than expected and took about 5 different tests to get right. But anyway, we got it done and now here we are with a new recipe that I think was worthwhile.

I will confess, this is not a particularly summery recipe, but I still think it works. Chocolate, coffee, and hazelnut are sort of a year round kind of delicacy if you ask me.

Describe These Cookies to Me

Taste: These have multiple flavors going on but they all work together so perfectly. The dough has a little chocolate flavor, which blends perfectly with the warming espresso, sweet vanilla, and toasty hazelnuts. It’s a lot going on but because they go so well together, the flavors don’t feel overwhelmingly busy.
Texture: These cookies are a little crisp on the inside with a soft and buttery center. The caramel shards add a chewiness to the cookies and it helps them spread. I think these have the best texture when they’re still a little warm, but they’re still delightful when cooled down.
Ease: Many people find caramel to be very difficult, but I think this version of caramel is much easier that soft caramels or caramel sauce. And once you get past the caramel part, this is a very straightforward recipe to throw together. It follows a pretty similar structure to a classic chocolate chip cookie.

The Dough

This dough is pretty straightforward in terms of the process and ingredients. Mix together all the wet ingredients, whisk together all the dry ingredients, combine the two, and bake. There are a few things to keep in mind. The dough itself is on the stickier, creamier side. This is because when we add in the chocolate chips, caramel, and hazelnuts, the cookies gain a lot more structure, and they need a stickier dough in order to spread properly. Another thing to keep in mind is the Nutella. Nutella tends to dry out cookies and stops them from spreading so much, so we need a stickier dough to account for that as well.

The Caramel Shards

I have been very into caramel for the past couple months. I had these gingerbread latte cookies in December, caramel banana muffins in January, and coconut caramel cookies in February. But it’s because the caramel shards are actually very easy to throw together and add an extra level of flavor to cookies. We make the shards by melting some sugar on the stove, stirring in a little butter, and then spreading the caramel out in a thin layer to harden and cool. When we mix this into the dough and bake it into the cookies, it will create these chewy and flavorful pools of caramel all throughout the cookies.

Caramel Mocha Hazelnut Cookies

If you love chocolate, hazelnut, coffee, and caramel, then these are the cookies for you. Sweet chocolate cookies are dotted with buttery hazelnuts, chewy pools of caramel, and bittersweet chocolate chips. These cookies are a relatively quick, no chill recipe and are sure to be a hit among chocolate lovers!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 12 cookies

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Caramel Shards

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons salted butter

Cookies

• ¾ cup salted butter at room temp
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons espresso powder
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup Nutella divided
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• ½ cup roughly chopped hazelnuts
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Method

 

Start by making the caramel shards

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Get out all the ingredients for the caramel so they are at the ready.
2. In a medium sized saucepan, melt the sugar over medium heat until amber brown, for roughly 6 minutes. It will seem like nothing is happening at first, but the sugar will begin to melt and clump up, and will eventually all melt down to a deep amber brown. Once melted, add the butter and use a whisk to combine. Once butter is completely melted, remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk vigorously just until the butter is mostly combined. Then immediately pour the caramel onto the previously prepared baking sheet and spread it out into a relatively thin layer. It hardens fast, so work quickly! Let the caramel sit for 5 minutes before using your hands to break it into small shards. Set aside while we make the cookie dough.
3. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Set aside.

Make the dough

1. In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and espresso powder together on medium high speed until creamy and combined. Mix in ¼ cup of Nutella, followed by the egg and vanilla. Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat on low speed until just combined. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the hazelnuts, chocolate chips, remaining ¼ cup of Nutella, and roughly three quarters of the caramel shards into the dough. The Nutella should not be fully combined, it should be in streaks.
2. Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll the dough into balls, about two Tablespoons in size. Place on the previously prepared baking sheets roughly two inches apart. Press a few pieces of the remaining caramel onto the top of the cookie dough balls.
3. Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes or until set on the sides. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before enjoying warm (highly recommended!) or let them cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.