CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH HAZELNUTS!

Well, yesterday I wanted to make Giada's Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies, but after sitting on the couch for a couple of hours almost no time at all, I was even more tired.  I did some more online Christmas shopping and caught up on The Good Wife. (Anyone watch that???) Before Danny came home I whipped up some pork for Danny and a shrimp and veges stir fry for me.  My original plan was to make the cookies as soon as I got home at 4:00, but I was so tired from our 5:30 am run that I am still chilly from was successful due to our new Under Armour Compression shirts.


After we Danny cleaned up from dinner we decided to decorate our tree. We bought it Sunday night and it just so cute. It is almost 7 feet tall but its only about 3 and a half feet wide. We need to get more lights because it looks a little sad, but overall it came out nice. (I'll have to post a picture tomorrow!)


Anyways, I am getting side tracked....when I got home from the gym, Starbucks (my coffee mug I use everyday was leaking and I had to replace it ASAP) and the GAP (Christmas shopping) I decided to make the cookies.  I need to get a head start on my baking because my list has grown to:

Lace cookies

Espresso brownies

Rainbow cookies 

Chocolate Chip Hazelnut cookies

Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

Peppermint Bark (SO SUPER EASY)

Sin City Cookies 

and possiblyyyy Chocolate Anise Biscotti

Mixed up all of the oats in the food processor.

Mixing brown sugar, sugar and 2 sticks of butter together.

Ugh, how good does this dough look? Chocolate chips, heath bar, hazelnuts, oh my!

After the hazelnuts were toasted. I just threw them in the toaster oven at 400 degrees (since the real over was pre-heating) for about ten minutes.

Before the oven.

mmm....so warm, gooey and chewy

Okay, finally, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old fashioned (not instant) oats

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 ounces heath bar, chopped

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked and chopped

12 ounces milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

*Toast the hazelnuts in a 400 degree oven or toaster oven. Toast them until they are fragrant and brown on the outside. Watch them closely so they do not burn. It takes about 5-10 minutes. After they cool, take a small handful at a time, of the toasted nuts and rub them between your hands. This will remove the skins and allow them to fall from your hands. It is okay if they do not all fall off.*

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.

For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1 inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

To get Giada's exact recipe click here!

*I made about 80 medium sized cookies from this recipe. * 

This will be a sure fire hit for family and friends. Enjoy!!

******** CONGRATS TO MY MOM WHOSE OFFICE HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR ALLSTATE'S MODEL OFFICE FOR 2010! SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!************