Description
These Nutella-Stuffed Snowball Cookies feature a rich, buttery dough with toasted hazelnuts, enclosing a gooey Nutella center. Lightly dusted with confectioners’ sugar for a snowy finish, these cookies offer a perfect balance of nutty crunch and chocolaty sweetness, ideal for festive occasions or a cozy treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Nutella Filling
- 6 Tbsp. Nutella
Cookies
- 3/4 cup hazelnuts
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (145 g) confectioners’ sugar, divided
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Toast Hazelnuts: Arrange oven racks in the upper and lower thirds and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet placed on the top rack and toast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove and cool completely, then finely chop.
- Freeze Nutella Dollops: Using a 1/2 teaspoon measure, scoop 36 small dollops of Nutella onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze these dollops until very cold and firm, approximately 15 minutes.
- Make Dough Base: In a large bowl, beat the unsalted butter with 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar using a handheld mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add Flavor and Flour: Mix in the kosher salt, vanilla extract, and chopped hazelnuts until evenly distributed. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour in two batches, mixing just until combined after each addition and scraping the bowl sides as needed.
- Assemble Cookies: Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough and press your thumb into the center to create a deep indentation. Place one frozen Nutella dollop into this indentation, then cover with dough and roll gently into a ball. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat until all dough is used, making 18 cookies total across 2 baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. Cookies should be golden brown on the bottom when done.
- Cool and Coat: Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, place the remaining 3/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and roll the cookies in the sugar until thoroughly coated.
- Make Ahead & Storage: Nutella dollops can be portioned and frozen up to 1 week ahead; if stored longer than a few hours, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Completed cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Toast hazelnuts carefully to prevent burning and to develop a deep nutty flavor.
- Freezing Nutella dollops ensures the filling doesn’t melt into the dough during baking.
- Pressing an indentation in the dough allows for easy stuffing and helps keep Nutella encapsulated.
- Cookies should be golden on the bottom but not overbaked to maintain a tender crumb.
- Rolling cookies in confectioners’ sugar adds a festive look and a touch of sweetness.
- Use high-quality Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread for the best flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
