Flour Bakery's Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Hi everyone! How’s your winter going? Here in the Kansas City area, it. won’t. stop. snowing. I’ve been pretty much snowed in all weekend; therefore, these cookies. Can we talk about them? Let’s talk about them. First, we need to talk about Nutella. I really, REALLY love the hazelnut cocoa spread, but I really hate baking with it. It’s a mess to measure out, it’s sticky, it gets everywhere. I realize these are all first world problems, but if I can find a cookie with the same flavors, but less mess I’ll take it.

So these cookies. They have milk chocolate, and hazelnuts. The hazelnuts aren’t only chopped up and put in the cookie, they’re also ground into a flour, so the hazelnut flavor is truly throughout. They’re satisfyingly crunchy from the nuts, and wonderfully creamy from the milk chocolate.

If you have snow where you are, you should warm your heart, and kitchen up with these bad boys. Here’s hoping spring is on the way!

Also, a little side note, if you’re looking for any web design, or general design work hit up my cousin (Stephanie Edwards) who lovingly designed this blog for me! You can find her website here: Space Car , her Facebook under SpaceCar, or on Instagram under @_spacecar_. She’s seriously the raddest.

Flour Bakery’s Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups whole hazelnuts (divided)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. About 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl

2. Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add the vanilla.

3. In a food processor, pulse about 1/2 cup of the hazelnuts into a fine powder or flour. Once it’s completely ground, stop, or it will turn into a paste. Roughly chop the rest of the heazelnuts.

4. In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, chopped chocolate, and the chopped and ground hazelnuts.

5. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until just combined.

6. Let the dough rest overnight, or for at least 3-4 hours.

7. The next day, preheat the oven to 350℉.

8. Measure the dough using an ice cream scoop. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Press down the balls of cookie dough a little bit, and then sprinkle with flakey sea salt.

9. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the edges are golden.

10. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy!

Browned Butter Brown Sugar Cookies

FRIENDS. IT. HAS. BEEN. TOO. LONG. Like over a year long. Apologies about that. I know I've neglected this space, but my personal life has been off the chain crazy.

Lemme tell ya what's going on:

1. I GOT ENGAGED! To the most wonderful human. Pictured in Churro Waffle Sticks With Chocolate Sauce. We're planning a December 2, 2017 wedding. I couldn't be more excited.
2. I got a dog...and a cat. Check out the Insta for those fools. 
3. I also started a new job. With some pretty rad humans, doing some pretty rad stuff. 
4. I'm trying to buy a house with aforementioned fiancé!
5. Just life in general, yo.

So, it's not you readers, it's definitely me. I absolutely would like to post more here in the future, and I'm going to do my best to do so. Let me know some baked goods, or neat ingredients you'd love to see in this space!

Without further ado let's talk about these cookies.

Browned butter. A most magical amber substance that greatly improves any baked good. I promise. Technical explanation: butter that has been melted to the point that water cooks out and the milk solids begin to toast. It has this delicious nutty flavor and can absolutely be paired with savory and sweet dishes. But we're going to focus on the sweet here. Because I do what I want. 

Seriously browned butter is good with anything. Especially vanilla beans and brown sugar. And that's what is happening in this recipe.

These cookies are best described as an incredibly rich, deep, sugar cookie. They speak to me. With their crunchy exterior, gooey inside, and intense, complex flavor. And the best part? They're pretty dang easy to make. So I'm going to stop rambling here and just get to the recipe, because you NEED 'EM.

Browned Butter Brown Sugar Cookies

• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
• 2 cups light brown sugar (divided)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 vanilla bean
• Splash of vanilla extract 

1. In a medium sauce pan place 10 tablespoons of butter. Bring heat to medium high and melt the butter. Once it melts, keep swirling the pan and cook about one to three minutes longer until the color is caramel brown and the smell is nutty. Pour into a bowl and add the remaining cold butter to the browned butter. This butter mixture needs to cool for 15 minutes or so before it can be used. 
2. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup of brown sugar with the ¼ cup of granulated sugar. Mix thoroughly making sure there are no lumps and set aside. You will roll the cookies in this before baking.
4. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
5. Once the melted butter has cooled, mix in the remaining brown sugar and salt in a stand mixer. Make sure it is fully incorporated.
6. Use a rubber spatula and scrape down the bowl then add the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean. Mix to combine.
7. Scrape the bowl again and add in the flour mixture. Mix until fully combined.
8. Take a 2 tablespoon ice cream scooper to form the dough balls. Roll into balls. Once formed, roll the dough in the brown sugar and granulated sugar mixture.
9. Keep the dough a few inches apart on the sheet pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes. 
10. Let sit on the pan for five more minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature (but they are very delicious eaten while still warm).