Hot cocoa and similar drinks are one of the reasons I love the winter season. With an addition of the delicious and rich hazelnut paste, they are so good with a mug of hot cocoa. As far as the hazelnut paste goes, I used my homemade paste, but if you can buy it, by all means go ahead. They would be delicious even with Nutella or a similar spread, so if that is the only thing you have available, feel free to use it.
Ingredients
60 grams butter, softened
150 grams granulated sugar
1 medium egg
3 tablespoons hazelnut paste
4 tablespoons double cream
200 grams plain flour
40 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
Preparation
Take a large bowl, add in the softened butter, and the sugar, and beat with an electric mixer on high, until lighter in colour, creamy, and fluffy. Add in the hazelnut paste, whole egg, and only a teaspoon of the flour (to help with the emulsification), and continue to mix on high until well-blended. Add in the double cream, and blend again. At this point, the batter will be very runny, but emulsified.
Sift together the flour with the cocoa powder, and the baking soda, then add it to the batter, and blend on low. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the batter, and arrange them on a large cookie sheet lined with baking paper. Bake them immediately in a preheated oven, at 190°C (375°F), for 8-10 minutes. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, to firm up, then remove them to a wire rack or serve warm. Yields 20 medium cookies.