Nutella makes the world go round

I was just telling a friend that there are a couple main rules I live by:
1. To make sweets better, add Nutella
2. To make savory better, add bacon or goat cheese.

The German chocolate cake travesty-turned-trifle left me with some unused coconut. I considered making macaroons or even a coconut cake but I didn't want anything involved, and I felt like chocolate.

First I considered putting some chopped chocolate and coconut into an oatmeal cookie recipe but as I was scouring my cabinets to see what I did and didn't have, I came across an almost-empty jar of Nutella and decided to use that instead.

I started with the Quaker Oats Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin cookie recipe because I think it's pretty tasty. But I ended up changing it quite a bit to account for the coconut and nutella by adding a little less sugar, removing the cinnamon and raisins, changing up the flour, etc.

At 113 calories and 4.5g of fat per cookie, these are really not even that bad for you! (note to self: approach Nabisco regarding 100 calorie packs of mini Nuella-coconut-oatmeal cupcakes). And, thought I never think anything is "too rich" I really do not think these are overly sweet, since I cut the sugar. In fact, if I weren't trying to keep the calories low, I probably would have added more sugar, but then I never find things to be too sweet :P

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Coconut and Nutella Oatmeal Cookies
Yields 2 dozen

1.5 cups oats
3/4 cup flour (I used half whole wheat and half AP)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar (I used a combo of brown and granulated)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup Nutella
1 large egg
2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in vanilla, egg and nutella.

In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

Combine wet and dry ingredients well. Stir in coconut.

Drop by spoonfuls or cookie scoop onto a cookie sheet (I lined mine with a silpat but it's not necessary).

Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until done (I always overcook cookies so if you are like me, remove them when they don't really look done because chances are, they are).

Cool one minute on cookie sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

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