Chocolate Lava Nutella Cookies

by Ally Cohen

on Aug 13

The cookies are cookies stuffed with chocolate that flows like lava and if you’re craving chocolate, these are the cookies to make. There’s chocolate incorporated three ways: Nutella, chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chunks. They’re rich, bold, and supremely fudgy. The cookies are thick, slightly chewy on the outside with super soft and tender interiors. The puddles of melted chocolate keeps the cookies extra moist. The cookies are baked in a muffin pan so you don’t have to chill the dough. The cookies rise while baking, but once out of the oven they sink in the center as they cool, readily exposing the luscious melted chocolate. They’re ready in 30 minutes and perfect when you need chocolate in a hurry.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
heaping 1/3 cup Nutella (stir well before adding)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 1/4-ounce chunks dark chocolate, divided (one chunk per cookie; I used Trader Joe’s 72% Pound Plus bar and 1/4-ounce is half of one square)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 12-cup standard-sized muffin pan with cooking spray or floured cooking spray; set aside.
2. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer). Combine the butter, Nutella, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
4. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the chocolate chips, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
5. Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 12 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
6. Transfer dough to prepared pan, placing one mound of dough in each cavity. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips right on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.
7. Stuff one 1/4-ounce chunk of dark chocolate in the center of each cookie, pressing the chocolate down so it’s flush with the top of the dough; repeat for all remaining cookies.
8. Bake for about 11 to 12 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set (I bake for 11 minutes exactly); don’t over bake. Cookies will rise in the oven, but fall as they cool.
9. Allow cookies to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before carefully removing. They should pop out easily but if they don’t, rim each muffin cavity with a table knife to help dislodge. Cookies will have a tendency to flatten and break apart somewhat after being removed from muffin pan.
10. Cookies are best warm and fresh but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.