Almond Butter Nutella Swirl Cookies

OMG.  These are to die for.  I've made a lot of desserts and some I like, some I think are just okay, some I love and some are the pinnacle.  These go in the pinnacle category.  They stayed thick; they were smooth and creamy, moist and superb.  I baked them for only 9 minutes in my convection oven, just long enough for the edges to get a little crisp but the thick middles were moist and chewy, almost like raw cookie dough but way, way better.  The swirls of Nutella added to the flavor and the almond butter complemented it nicely.  In fact, I think the Nutella was better showcased by not being in a chocolate cookie.  It stood out on its own against the more subtle flavor of the cookie. 

Don't let the relatively humble look of these cookies fool you.  They go into the royalty category of cookies for me.  I'm now going to have to stock up on almond butter so I can keep making these cookies.  They're a keeper.   

Oh and for anyone like me who has never baked with almond butter before and didn't know where to get it, if you don't have a helpful friend named Linda in your life, I've been told other sources to find almond butter are health food stores and Trader Joe's.  And of course, my favorite website: amazon.  I used the Blue Diamond Almond Butter for this recipe.  

1/2 c. unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 c. smooth almond butter

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1 farm fresh egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4  tsp. salt

13/4 c. flour

1/2 c. Nutella

Mix first 8 ingredients until smooth and fluffy.  Slowly sift in flour until well incorporated.  Stir in the Nutella just until you have a pretty swirl pattern. 

Refrigerate dough for about 15-20 minutes. Then scoop out small dough balls onto lined cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes.

Recipe Source: http://pastrychefbaking.blogspot.com/2011/03/almond-butter-and-nutella-swirl-cookies.html