Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Need I say more? Are you in LOVE with something that is oh-so-delicious-I-need-this-to-live-best-spread-ever-created otherwise known as Nutella®? This is the cookie for you! It isn't too sweet and not over the top chocolatey (although I'm sure you could add more to make it so, maybe cocoa powder?). This recipe is slightly altered (mostly just halved) from Giada's Chocolate Hazelnut Drop Cookies recipe. According to the official Nutella® Website, the spread, in its earliest form, was created in the 1940's by Mr. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company. At the time, there was very little chocolate because cocoa was in short supply due to World War II rationing. So Mr. Ferrero used hazelnuts, which are plentiful in the Piedmont region of Italy, to extend the chocolate supply.

Yield: ~28 cookies
Time: 15 min prep, 10 min bake (x2)
Oven: 350 degrees F

Ingredients: 
1 stick (1/2 c) of butter, room temperature
2 T powdered sugar (an additional 1/2 cup is optional for the extra coating at the end)
1/2 t pure vanilla extract
1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 c Nutella

1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. With machine running, gradually add in flour until it's all well incorporated. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides with a spatula. Beat in Nutella. Lick remnants of Nutella off spoon (and then immediately put it in the sink so there's no reason to suspect contamination.... Note: Giada didn't write this part).
3. Using your fingers, pinch off rounded tablespoon amounts of dough, roll into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet. They do spread some but no more than an inch or two apart should be fine.
4. Bake until bottoms flatten out slightly, about 10 minutes. They will flatten more in the cooling process so don't worry if they look a little funny when you first pull them out.
5. Cook for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. I like to slide the parchment paper with the cookies still stuck on, right onto the wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
6. OPTIONAL: Place 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a medium bowl. In batches, roll the cookies in the powdered sugar until coated. 
7. Enjoy!!!

WARNING: These melt in your mouth and are completely addictive.