Nutella Oatmeal Thins

I love it when a cookie looks fairly ordinary at first glance and then really “wows” you when you bite into it. These cookies fit that description perfectly. They might not look like much at first glance – thin, with no big chunks of chocolate, nuts or any other add0ins – but they win you over in one bite. They are thin and crispy, with an almost lacy texture that makes the cookies feel very light. You can taste oatmeal and butter, along with sugar and a bit of salt, with a hint of chocolate and hazelnut from the addition of a bit of Nutella to the batter. They are simply delicious.

These cookies spread a lot during baking, so it’s important to leave plenty of room between the cookies when you are placing them on the baking sheet. You don’t need much dough to make each cookie; one teaspoon of dough turns into a three inch cookie, give or take a little. They get their spread from a couple of sources, including butter/fat, leavening and a relatively small amount of flour. The fat keeps the cookies crispy, while the leavening and the relatively small amount of flour contribute to a delicate texture.

Nutella, in case you’re not all that familiar with it, is a delicious peanut butter-like spread that is made with cocoa and hazelnuts. You can make your own at home, but it’s pretty easy to find it in many grocery stores, and some bigger stores like Target often stock it on their shelves, as well.

These cookies will be fairly soft when they first come out of the oven and will harden as they cool. Let them set up on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool. Once the cookies are cool and crisp, store them in an airtight container and they will keep their crispiness for several days – if the batch lasts that long. It’s easy to eat these two at a time, and they’re likely to go faster if you have coffee or vanilla ice cream around that need accompaniment.

Nutella Oatmeal Thins
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
6 tbsp Nutella
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats (not instant or regular)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, Nutella and the sugars until mixture is fluffy. Beat in the egg and the egg yolk, followed by the vanilla extract.
Working at a low speed or by hand, gradually blend in the flour mixture and the oats (if you don’t have quick-cooking, pulse whole rolled oats in the food processor to chop them up a bit).
Drop teaspoonfuls of the batter (1/2-inch balls) onto prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2-inches between cookies to allow for spread.
Bake for 10 minutes, until cookies are set.
Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 6-7 dozen cookies