Hello from the beach! Ryan, Chase, Sadie and I arrived in Florida late yesterday evening and I am so ready for the holiday fun to begin. My sister took today and tomorrow off work so we will have the next five days to hang out as a family and enjoy some uninterrupted time together as Christmas approaches. I’m really looking forward to taking part in some of my favorite Christmas traditions, including baking Christmas cookies with my mom and sister.
I couldn’t resist getting a little jump start on my holiday baking earlier this week and made a batch of chocolate chip hazelnut oatmeal cookies to bring along with me on the drive from Charlotte to Jacksonville. Ryan, Chase and I snacked on our fair share of the cookies but managed to save a dozen to share with my family as well.
I wanted to incorporate hazelnut and chocolate into the cookies because my sister and I share an intense love for Ferrero Rocher chocolate (the deliciously crunchy and creamy chocolate hazelnut truffles wrapped in gold foil) and those delicious little sweet treats served as the inspiration for these cookies.
Over the weekend, I made a return to ALDI because I wanted to nab the giant $30 giraffe Chase fell in love with a couple of weeks ago since ALL of you said it was worth the purchase for a Christmas surprise. (I hope he loves it!!) While I was there, I bought everything I needed to make these cookies, including chocolate chips, Kerrygold butter (the best), chopped hazelnuts and Happy Farms Cream Cheese. (You may find the ALDI nearest you by clicking here.)
I wanted to do a little experimenting by adding cream cheese to the cookies because one of Ryan’s coworkers recently baked a batch of sugar cookies with cream cheese that he brought home to share and they were unreal. Perfectly moist but crisp around the edges. I had to give it a shot!
I had a little helper in the kitchen as I did my experimenting, and Chase had a blast pouring the ingredients in and churning the butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Of course snacking on the fresh-from-the-oven cookies was his favorite part! I’m not sure whether I liked the taste of the cookies or the way they made our house smell more!
These cookies are soft and pillowy and the chopped hazelnuts add the perfect amount of crunch to these deliciously sweet and chocolaty treats!
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PinIngredients
- 1/2 cup Kerrygold butter, softened
- 1/4 cup Happy Farms Cream Cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup SimplyNature Organic Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup Baker’s Corner Granulated Sugar
- 1 large SimplyNature Organic Cage Free Brown Egg
- 2 teaspoons Stonemill Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/4 cups Baker’s Corner AllPurpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baker’s Corner Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Baker’s Corner Baking Soda
- 1/4 teaspoon Stonemill Pink Himalayan Salt
- 1 3/4 cups Baker’s Corner Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
- 3/4 cup Southern Grove Chopped Hazelnuts
- 1 cup Milville Old Fashioned Oats
Instructions
- Combine the butter, cream cheese, sugars, egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Scrape the batter off the sides of the bowl and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined, about 1 minute.
- Add chocolate chips, hazelnuts and oatmeal and beat slowly to incorporate into batter or fold into the batter by hand.
- Using a cookie scoop or small spoon, form mounds of dough (approximately 24) and place onto a large plate. Flatten dough slightly with your palm and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight) before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops begin to set. The cookies will continue to firm as they cool, so please take care not to overbake.
- Cool cookies on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Enjoy!
Recipe inspired by Soft-Batch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Question of the Day
What are your favorite kind of cookies to make around the holidays?
My favorite cookies to make around the holidays will always be Mimi’s sugar cookies but I also love making traditional cut-out sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies to decorate with my family.
Cream cheese in a cookie?!?!? OMG sign me up!
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby(Quote)
These looks absolutely delicious! Hazelnuts are one of my favorite nuts to use in baking. And oatmeal cookies are one of my top favorite cookies. I’ll have to make these after the holidays.
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona(Quote)
I made the andes candies mint cookies last night along with the hershey kiss peanut butter blossom. For the blossom cookies we used a peanut butter that had a hint of coconut and it was so good!
Katherine(Quote)
What brand is that amazing peanut butter!?
Shannon(Quote)
Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Spread Creamy
Katherine(Quote)
My husband’s grandmother and I bonded over our love of Ferrero Rocher and I can’t wait to make these for her! Was already planning an Aldi run after work, so this is perfect. Thanks Julie 🙂
Diana Jochums(Quote)
★★★★★
Aren’t they so good!? My sister and I LOVE them and my mom puts them in our Christmas stockings every year. So good!
Julie(Quote)
Oh my gosh yes!!!
Diana Jochums(Quote)
Hooray for family time and for the giant stuffed giraffe! Ive never heard of cream cheese in a cookie recipe, sounds amazing! One of our family traditions is making chocolate dipped shortbread. They are light and pillowy!
Sam(Quote)
I have never heard of cream cheese in a cookie recipe! I can totally see how they would be super moist. Have a wonderful time with your family 🙂
Maureen(Quote)
Oh my gosh these look so soft and fluffy! I’ve never done cream cheese in a cookie, but heck yes!
Carrie this fit chick(Quote)
Mmm love the combo of hazelnuts and chocolate. Have a wonderful time with your family over the holiday!!
Steph(Quote)
Oh my gosh, I am DROOLING over these! That chocolate though. I love making snickerdoodles this time of year, of course! And gingerbread cookies. Another recipe I’ve been wanting to try incorporates eggnog, too. Just sign me up for all of the treats during the holidays – especially a good cookie!
Kaitlyn @ Powered by Sass(Quote)
omg these sound UNREAL! i love that they’re a twist on plain old chocolate chip cookies. anything that has chocolate and hazelnuts is a winner in my book! have a happy holiday 🙂
jordan@ dancing for donuts(Quote)
Pleeeeeaaase share pics of Chase and his giraffe!
Jess(Quote)
I definitely will! I can’t wait for him to open it… Now to wrap it! Ha!
Julie(Quote)
Highly recommend Gilbert’s Social if you’re near Southside.
Jodi(Quote)
I love soft batch cookies with cream cheese! And chocolate hazelnut is a great combination!
Erinn(Quote)
These sound amazing! I have never tried adding cream cheese to cookies but will have to give it a whirl now. Hope you enjoy your time in FL!
Emily @ Pizza and Pull-Ups(Quote)
Do you have to refrigerate before baking or can you bake right after making dough?
Vera(Quote)
I’d definitely recommend refrigerating before baking so they cookies hold their shape well and don’t flatten out too much as they bake.
Julie(Quote)
Mmmm these sound so good! I love any cookie with chocolate. My favorite around the holidays are snickerdoodles, so I added chocolate chips in them this year and they’re delicious!
Patricia @Sweet and Strong(Quote)
Snickerdoodles are wonderful and also seem kind of underrated in my opinion. Love the cinnamon sweetness!
Julie(Quote)
I know a few Ferraro Rochere lovers that this would be perfect for!! My favorite kind of cookie to make is simple chocolate chip 🙂
Alexis deZayas(Quote)
These sound delish! Merry Christmas!
Jan(Quote)