I’m playing favourites with my cookies here and stating that chocolate hazelnut pinwheel cookies is now my favourite cookie of all of them. Full disclosure here, this cookie actually came about from my failed attempt at a rugelach. I followed a recipe I found step by step and was so excited by it…until I bit into it and it was bland and just well very blah. But I hate to admit defeat and was still dead set on wanting to roll dough around nutella and hazelnuts because it sounded too good not too. So I played around with the recipe to create the cookie rugleach hybrid I envisaged. And first try and I am in love. The sour cream in the dough makes the cookie wonderfully soft and adds a lovely subtle tang. Rolled with a thick layer of nutella, a heavy sprinkle of roasted hazelnuts and an added hint of orange zest making my cookie dreams come true!
– Chocolate Hazelnut Pinwheel Cookies –
Makes about 30 cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (170g) chilled unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 jar of nutella (200g) Nutella
1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
zest of 1 orange
1 egg
Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking power and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and rub into flour until pea-sized crumbs form. If using a mixer pulse on a low speed with the paddle attachment.
Lightly beat egg yolks, sour cream, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth. Add to the flour and mix together until the dough just starts to come together. Knead gently just until the dough comes together into a smooth ball. Divide in half and form into disks. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 30mins.
Let the dough sit at room temperature till slightly softened. Preheat the oven to 350F. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface to rectangle about 1/4inch thick. Spread half the nutella over the dough. Sprinkle half the nuts and orange zest leaving 1/2inch free at one edge. Roll up the dough to form a log. Repeat with the remaining dough. Wrap the dough and chill for 30mins. Slicing into 1cm thick rounds and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Whisk the egg with 1 tbsp water, brush on top of the cookies. Bake for 9-11mins until edges are firm. Cool down on wire racks.
