Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups flour (level off in a measuring cup)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened or regular Nutella (may substitute hazelnut paste; see headnote)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- Scrapings from 1 split vanilla bean (may substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 3 cups (12 ounces) bittersweet chocolate (preferably 60 to 66 percent cacao content), coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch pieces or larger
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts (optional)
Preparation
Step 1
Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees. Line 2 or 3 rimmed baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper.
Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer; beat on medium speed until creamy. Reduce the speed to medium-low, then add the Nutella and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition, then add the vanilla bean scrapings, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.
Reduce the speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until the dough comes together.
Stir in the chocolate pieces and, if desired, the nuts.
Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets, flattening them slightly by hand as needed. (At this point the mounds of dough can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to a month.)
Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned (or a few minutes longer for crisp cookies). Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing. Repeat to use all of the dough.