A Good Cookie and a Good Book

Last weekend I made Thunder Cookies. Erik came up with this idea for a cookie containing his five favorite cookie things: chocolate; Nutella; coconut; macadamia nuts and peanut butter. I finally got around to making them on Sunday, and we had finished the whole batch by Wednesday, they were that good. (Although next time I'll use hazelnuts instead of macadamia nuts. But don't tell Erik).

Thunder Cookies

*1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

*3/4 cup sugar

*1 egg

*1/2 cup Nutella

*1/2 tsp. baking soda

*1/2 tsp. baking powder

*1/4 tsp. salt

*1 tsp. vanilla extract

*1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

*1/4 cup coconut

*1/2 cup peanut butter chips

*1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Instructions

*Preheat oven to 375°F.

*With an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add in the sugar and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the egg and beat until combined. Beat in the Nutella, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and vanilla until well combined.

*Beat in the flour and coconut until just combined. Stir in the peanut butter chips and chopped nuts by hand. Scoop dough by large tablespoons and form into balls. Place, about 2 inches apart, on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are crispy and center is still slightly soft. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes on baking sheet. Finishing cooling on wire rack.

Also, we have recently discovered that French Nutella and Canadian Nutella are different! Not only does ours always come in glass jars, it also doesn't contain any hydrogenated palm oil. Just vegetable oil. Tastes different (better) too.

Now, to keep you company while you eat your cookies, I have to recommend the book I just finished. It's called The Help, by Kathyn Stockett, and I couldn't put it down. It's about two black maids and a white woman in Mississippi in the 60s who decide to write about what it's like to be the help. Fascinating.