Nutella Almond Cookies

My take on Giada De Laurentiis' recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti. Delicious cookies that are guaranteed to have people asking "What's in here?" These cookies where my first foray into baking, and they were very easy for a beginner. My family, who knows my cooking inabilities, thought they were slice and bake! Suggestion: I use a Silpat silicon baking sheet on my cookie sheet. It keeps the bottoms from getting too done.

• Ready In: 23 mins
• Yields: 27-30 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup  nutella (Chocolate hazelnut spread. My grocery store keeps it next to the peanut butter)
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
• 1  egg
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3⁄4 cup  sliced almonds
• 3⁄4 cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to incorporate and set aside.
3. In another medium bowl combine the butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, sugar, and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream the ingredients together, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture one-third until just combined. Add the almonds and the chocolate chips and stir until just combined.
5. Using a tablespoon measure, spoon out the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet, spacing the mounds about 4 inches apart. Bake until lightly golden around the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool.