Ingredients (~36 cookies)
For the Dough
- 338g (2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 10g (1 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp) cornstarch
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 60g (scant 1/2 cup) hazelnuts, finely ground
- 140g (10 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 284g (10 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
- 360g (1 3/4 cups) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
For the Coating
- 60g (scant 1/2 cup) hazelnuts, finely ground
- 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
For the Filling
- ~1/2 cup (150g) Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the 60g of ground hazelnuts intended for the dough. Set this bowl aside.
Mix the Wet Ingredients and Form the Dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter and cream cheese on medium speed until they are smooth and no lumps remain. Add the granulated sugar and continue to beat for ~2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy; Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla, and mix on low speed until just combined.
Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix on the lowest speed until a soft dough forms. The dough will be slightly sticky at this point – this is normal.
Chill the Dough for at Least 2 Hours
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight. This step is important – chilling solidifies the fats, which keeps the cookies from spreading too much during baking. The dough will be firm and much easier to handle after chilling.
Prepare the Coating and Form the Cookies
Set your oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small, shallow bowl, combine the 60g of ground hazelnuts and 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar for the coating.
Use a small cookie scoop (~3/4 oz) to portion the chilled dough. Roll each portion between your palms to form a smooth ball, then drop it into the hazelnut sugar mixture and toss to coat it completely.
Bake at 350F for ~10-12 minutes
Place the coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for ~10-12 minutes. The cookies should look puffy and the edges should be set but still pale. They will not get very brown.
Indent and Fill the Cookies
Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Let the cookies cool on the pan for just 2 minutes – they need to be warm and pliable for this next step.
Press the back of a rounded 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon into the center of each warm cookie to create an indent. If the edges crack a little, you can gently push them back together while the cookie is still warm.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for another 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once they are cool, fill each indent with Nutella. A piping bag makes this process cleaner, but a small spoon also works.
Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 338g all-purpose flour 2 3/4 cups
- 10g cornstarch 1 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 60g hazelnuts scant 1/2 cup, finely ground
- 140g unsalted butter 10 Tbsp, room temperature
- 284g cream cheese 10 oz, room temperature
- 360g granulated sugar 1 3/4 cups
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 egg yolks room temperature
- 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
For the Coating
- 60g hazelnuts scant 1/2 cup, finely ground
- 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
For the Filling
- ~1/2 cup Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread 150g
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 60g ground hazelnuts.
- Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and beat 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
- Mix in egg, egg yolks, and vanilla until just combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet, mix on low until soft dough forms.
- Chill dough covered for 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Mix 60g ground hazelnuts with 1.5 tbsp sugar for coating.
- Scoop 3/4 oz dough portions, roll into balls, coat in hazelnut sugar mixture.
- Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes until puffy with pale edges.
- After 2 minutes cooling, make indents with rounded 1/2 tsp measuring spoon.
- Cool 5 minutes on sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Fill indents with Nutella using piping bag or small spoon.
