Stuffing things is the best. I mean it. Can you think of ONE THING that is stuffed that you hate?
Chilli Relenos? Check.
Chicken Cordon Bleu? Check.
Pita bread? Check.
Hand pies? Double Check.
Turducken? Uhhh...okay. Not everything is meant to be stuffed.
But I tend to believe that the vast majority of treats should be filled or stuffed with something because intentional food surprises are fantastic. Except for cherry liqueur-filled chocolates, aka Cherry Cordials. AKA NO THANK YOU.
So, Nutella is my favorite stuffing medium. In croissants, cupcakes, muffins, eclairs, whatever. I will take my Nutella in any form you give me, and if it's a hidden surprise in baked goods, well even better.
This is kind of next level baking, friends. This is for the novice who wants to try something a little more challenging, for the Pinterest warriors who look at food and say "Oh, let's make that!", and never do. This is for the expats who ate their weight in Nutella abroad. This is for my PMSing uterus that just can't get it together enough to not want to eat peanut butter and Nutella all week long.
Ingredients:
1 16 oz. jar creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 cup nutella
2 tbsp coconut oil
Powdered sugar
Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat Nutella and coconut oil on low until melted. Stir continuously until just warm, and then transfer to a parchment or wax paper in an 8x8 baking dish. Freeze.
While your Nutella freezes, mix together your cookie dough. Combine peanut butter, vanilla, eggs, and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
Remove Nutella from freezer and make sure it is solid all the way through. (I find that an hour is plenty of time for this, but you can make it the night before.) Remove frozen block from pan. Cut into 1x1 pieces using a large kitchen knife. Put back in freezer until you are ready to assemble your cookies.
Take a small dollop of dough and press frozen Nutella chunks into the center, and roll between both hands to cover Nutella square with dough. Make sure there are no exposed edges. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
Remove from oven. DON'T TOUCH THE COOKIES. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Still, DO NOT TOUCH THE COOKIES. Allow them to cool almost completely before eating them. If you're feeling fancy, you can sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top of them, but only if you're feeling fancy. If you're feeling low-key, eat them as is in all of their Nutella-stuffed glory.
