Halloween Recipe: Two-Bite Nutella Chocolate Cookies

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well. If there are lumps, especially from the cocoa, sift the mixture through a strainer.
3. Using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, cream together the softened butter and Nutella until smooth. Then add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Incorporate the egg, water, and vanilla extract, beating well. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters as needed.
4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Mix only until the dough starts to come together and most of the flour is incorporated. Finish mixing by folding the dough a few times with a spatula to incorporate any remaining flour.
5. Take small pieces of dough and roll them into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes for soft, fudgy cookies or 10 minutes for crispier ones. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.
6. Ensure the cookies are completely cool before icing. For the icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a small bowl. Pour half of the icing into a resealable plastic bag and seal it. To the remaining half, add yellow and red food coloring, whisking until you get a uniform orange color. Add more coloring for a deeper shade. Transfer this orange icing to another resealable plastic bag.
7. Arrange the cookies close together on a wire rack. Snip a tiny corner off the bag with white icing and drizzle it in long diagonal lines over all the cookies. Then snip a corner off the orange icing bag and drizzle in the same manner. Allow the icing to set for about 20 minutes before serving or storing.
8. Store the cookies in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to one week.