Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies have soft centres, are salty and sweet, and don't have to be chilled. Fast and easy with a punch of chocolatey goodness!

Although they have a good amount of Nutella in them, I found my taste-testers ...some of whom are strictly opposed to that glorious hazelnut spread...loved the flavour and went in for seconds before even realizing what they were enjoying. It just sets off a certain amount of sweetness that the sprinkle of sea salt at the end pairs perfectly.

And just to add that photogenic pop...press a few extra chocolate chips on top after they come out of the oven...followed by the sea salt...and let cool a few minutes on the pan and you are good to go!

Now normally I make cookies using my cookie scoop, but during the holiday season, I needed to make more cookies. But instead of doubling up the batches and spending more money on the ingredients, I decided to scoop as normal and then cut the balls in half. This will help stretch your budget and the cookies still bake up to a nice size. It's totally up to you and how many you want to make.

I really hope you enjoy them!

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup room temp butter

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 cup Nutella...split it into 2 x 1/4 cup portions

• 2 1/3 cups flour

• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cornstarch

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips plus 1/4 cup to top cookies

• sea salt sprinkle to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line pans with parchment.

2. In a mixer, cream butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.

3. Add eggs and vanilla and beat.

4. Add 1/4 cup Nutella and combine well.

5. Stir together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt in a different bowl.

6. Add the dry to the wet ingredients until just combined.

7. Add the cup of chocolate chips until just combined.

8. Add remaining 1/4 cup Nutella. Add for just a quick swirl. Over mixing will make a dry and crumbly cookie.

9. Scoop and bake for 10 minutes. (no need to chill dough)

10. As soon as they come out of the oven, press in a few extra chocolate chips on top and a sprinkle of sea salt. They will deflate a bit as they cool.

11. Let them sit on the pan for an additional 5 minutes. Cool on racks.

12. Enjoy!

Spritz Cookies

Spritz cookies are tasty little cuties that remind me of holidays. They are like a sugar cookie and a shortbread had a baby and it came out all pretty and yummy. They add a touch of colour to any cookie tray and fill in the spots where you need a little bit of flavour and eye catching morsels to go with tea.

I bought my first spritz machine this year. I have to tell you...these things are so fun!! Okay, yes, I am a cookie dork, but these press machines can make the cutest little cookies! So much easier than rolling out sugar cookie dough, cutting out dough, baking and decorating with frosting etc. Spritz cookies...you load the machine with your dough and whichever design disc...click the button once and boom! You have a cookie on a sheet! Add a few sprinkles and into the oven for 6 or 7 minutes and you're done!

I recommend a non-stick cookie sheet with no parchment paper. This is the only cookie for which I recommend you not using parchment. The cookie just doesn't stick to the parchment when you click the button. But when you do it straight on to the cookie sheet, it adheres right away.

The cookies don't need a lot of space or chilling to make the magic happen either. You just preheat the oven to 400°F, make the dough, load the machine, press, decorate, and bake. They don't spread and no chilling is required.

I really hope you enjoy this recipe. I got it from my mom. We both enjoy a mix of vanilla and almond extract in the recipe, but you can make it with either or if you prefer a different flavour profile. You can also add a touch of food colouring at the end if you want to make red or green...or if you want to change things up and make them for other occasions.

Happy baking!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 egg

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp almond extract

• 2 1/4 cups flour

(Loads my cookie press 4 times)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. Cream butter and sugar with paddle in stand mixer

3. Add the egg, salt and extracts

4. Slowly add in the flour

5. Load the press with a quarter of the dough per pan

6. Select which disc you want for the shape

7. Click according to the directions

8. Decorate with sprinkles etc

9. Bake for 6 to 9 minutes

10. Leave for a few minutes on the pan for a bit more colour

11. Cool and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bars

A kitchen sink blondie for you to throw in all the leftover partial bags of candy in your pantry. We all have them. Smarties, M&M's, Reese, Rolos... Whatever you have. It's soft and gooey and full of peanut butter and chocolate...mmmm.

All the magic happens in one bowl. Easy peasy. Start with a blondie base and add 1/2 cup peanut butter. Toss in all your leftover candies, morsels and chocolate bits. Stir it all together and spread it in an 8x8 pan.

It comes out soft and gooey. Set around the edges and slightly set on top, but soft and delicious inside. It sets up more after you take it out of the oven. Don't over bake it. Let it rest for at least a half hour before cutting into it. The next day...and all week if they last that long...it is still soft and chewy and peanut buttery and all those great things a perfect bar should be.

Give it a try! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Monster Bar

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup melted butter

• 1 egg

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1 cup flour

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chunks

• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

• 1/2 cup morsels/candy-coated bits of your choosing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Prepare 8x8 pan with overhanging foil. Set aside.

3. Melt butter and let cool for a minute so it doesn't scramble the egg.

4. Whisk in the egg, sugar, and vanilla.

5. Stir in peanut butter until totally combined.

6. Add the flour. Stir just until combined.

7. Stir all add ins.

8. Spread in pan and bake for around 22 to 28 minutes until top is set.

9. Let cool at least 30 minutes to a couple of hours before cutting.