These cookies were kind of a happy accident.
I was thinking about an extra recipe to make for my cookie trays for Christmas and this one popped into my mind. I had about two cups of my Boozy Knockoff Nutella sitting in the freezer. Recently, I read somewhere that Nutella has the same consistency as peanut butter, so you can substitute it in recipes that require peanut butter.
With that said, I took my recipe for Peanut Butter Print Cookies (which taste great with cashew butter too!) and substituted Nutella in. These cookies have a bit of a chewy texture because of the dates in the knockoff Nutella. If you'd like harder, more traditional thumbprint cookies, use half Nutella and half peanut butter.
What really makes these cookies great is the chocolate "icing" in the middle, which is refined sugar free. This gooey chocolate sauce is the same on that I put in my Homemade Bourbon S'mores recipe and it is stupid good. This sauce makes the cookies.
Ingredients:
Adapted from Kitchen Operas
1 c. Boozy Knockoff Nutella
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1 T. flaxseed, ground
3 T. water
1/2 tsp. baking powder, aluminum-free
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2-3 T. coconut flour
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the maple syrup, flax, and water. Let it stand for 10 minutes or so to thicken.
After, add the Nutella, baking powder, salt, and coconut flour to the bowl. Mix well. The batter should be pretty thick.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop a dollop of batter onto your prepared tray. You should be able to get at least 12 standard cookies from this recipe. Keep them dome-shaped.
Bake these cookies for 25-30 minutes, if you're using my Nutella. If you're using store-bought Nutella (no dates inside), bake them for 15-18 minutes. Allow them to cool for five minutes and then press your thumb into them. If your fingers get sticky, dip your thumb in a little coconut flour.
For the Chocolate Icing:
1-2 T. coconut oil
1/3 c. good quality cocoa powder, unsweetened, like Guittard Cocoa Rouge
4-5 T. pure maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
pinch of cinnamon
splash of bourbon
Directions:
In a Pyrex cup, melt the syrup and coconut oil together. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Although the icing will look runny at first, allow the mixture to thicken. Stirring should loosen it up again. If it's really too runny, add some more cocoa powder, a tablespoon at a time.
Take a spoonful of icing and drop it into the thumbprint holes. Now you've got a beautiful cookie!
These cookies taste fabulous and are different from your everyday thumbprint cookies. Enjoy!
Cheers,
-Aileen