Ingredients

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Crisco shortening (I use butter flavor Crisco)
• 1/2 cup nutella, plus
• 1/4 cup additional nutella, for drizzling, if desired
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon dry instant coffee granules (such as Taster's Choice)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts (ground or finely chopped)
• 36 hazelnuts (whole)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, cream sugars with the butter, shortening and 1/2 cup nutella.

3. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Add coffee granules, mix well.

4. In a medium bowl, blend the flour, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk.

5. Add chocolate chips and ground nuts to the flour mixture. Stir well.

6. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture, stir just until blended.

7. Drop by tablespoonfuls (I use a cookie scoop) two inches apart onto greased cookie sheets.

8. Gently press a whole hazelnut into the center of each cookie.

9. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes. With a spatula transfer warm cookies to rack to finish cooling.

10. Once cooled, drizzle melted 1/4 cup nutella mixed with 2 teaspoons of water over tops of cookies, if desired. Cool completely.

11. Note: May be stored in an air tight container, with parchment paper between layers. These cookies freeze well.