Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth pocket cookies filled with Nutella, created in support of Bake A Difference With OXO.
Cancer. A single word that upends lives and touches nearly every family in some way. As you read it, you might think of someone you know who has battled cancer. For me, that person was my childhood friend Leigh, whom I’d known since kindergarten. This post is written in her honor as I partner with OXO to raise funds for childhood cancer during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was founded by two OXO employees in honor of their son Liam, and OXO pledged to donate up to $100,000 to support the cause. In tribute to Leigh and the hope for a cure, I made Nutella Dream Pocket Cookies—because everyone dreams of a world without cancer.
I knew Leigh for nearly 15 years. One of my first memories of her is from elementary school, during a recess argument when she gave me attitude—she earned the nickname “Miss Attitude.” That energy was part of her charm; she was fiercely loyal and always there when I needed her. In high school she convinced her roommates to let me join a trip to Disney even when they teased that I was “too giddy.” We shared countless inside jokes, silly nicknames and memories that made our friendship special.
This is what a selfie with a disposable camera looked like. And we never did figure out who that man was.
Leigh and I attended different middle schools but reconnected in high school, where we both played clarinet. We competed for spots in band and leadership roles—she became section leader our senior year, and I quickly realized her natural ability to lead. When she first felt unwell late in senior year—complaining of acid reflux and anemia—none of us expected the diagnosis that followed: leukemia. It was devastating to think of someone so young facing such an enormous challenge. Instead of preparing for college, she began treatment.
Leigh and her palm tree in Florida
After I left for college, we lost touch for a while. I later learned she’d been through a close call but went into remission—she fought hard and won that battle. We reconnected years later and celebrated together. Leigh spent five years cancer-free. Then, on November 27, 2010, I learned she had died in a car crash. The news hit me hard—especially knowing I had been only minutes away at the same time. Questions and speculation followed, but none of that brings her back. I remember her kindness, humor, and fierce spirit, and I carry those memories with me.
These Nutella Dream Pocket Cookies are for you, Leigh. I don’t know if Nutella was your thing back then, but this is my way of honoring you—a small promise to support the search for a cure. Your strength inspired everyone who knew you, and I hope to carry that courage forward in whatever I do.
If you’d like to support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer through OXO’s Bake A Difference program, purchases of specially marked OXO baking tools contribute funds to the cause. For these pocket cookies I used OXO measuring cups, measuring spoons, an egg separator, and a spatula—tools that make baking easier and more enjoyable.
These cookies pair wonderfully with Nutella ice cream or a warm Nutella sauce for an indulgent dessert experience.
Nutella Dream Pocket Cookies
Yield:
6 cookies
6 cookies
Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth pocket cookies filled with Nutella.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Nutella
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars until smooth.
- Beat in the yolk and vanilla until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Gradually beat in the flour. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and prepare an ungreased cookie sheet.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 2.5-inch circles. Reroll scraps as needed, chilling for 15 minutes if the dough becomes too warm.
- Place 1 teaspoon Nutella in the center of one circle, top with another circle, and press the edges together. Use a fork dipped in flour to crimp and seal the edges. Bake 12–15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
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Source: Adapted from Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Book Ever
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If you enjoyed these Nutella Dream Pocket Cookies, you might also like these recipes:
From me:
- Peanut Butter-Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
- Double Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
- Peanut Butter Nutella Crinkles