I was determined to make this dessert happen
It had to be incredible—or it wasn’t making the menu
A note from Val: Adding one of Italy’s most iconic flavors
As I was finalizing the Tavva dessert menu, I had four desserts I felt really good about. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that we needed one more.
Tyler wasn’t so sure.
One thing we’ve worked really hard to do at Tavva is keep the menu focused. Every new item adds more ingredients, more prep, and more complexity. So if we were going to add a fifth dessert, it couldn’t just be good.
It had to be worth it.
I wanted this final dessert to feel familiar and comforting while still having an Italian influence. It doesn’t get much more classic or comforting than a warm chocolate chip cookie, so that’s where I started.
For the Italian twist, I knew I wanted to use chocolate-hazelnut spread. It’s a flavor that’s deeply rooted in Italian food culture and one of the country’s most recognizable sweet ingredients. It felt like the perfect bridge between a classic American chocolate chip cookie and the Italian-inspired menu we’re building at Tavva.
So instead of serving a traditional chocolate chip cookie, I made a warm skillet cookie with a molten chocolate-hazelnut center that melts into every bite.
The finishing touch was a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to bring out all of the chocolate and hazelnut flavors.
When I served it to Tyler and two members of our team, the reaction was immediate. It was one of those desserts where everyone stopped talking after the first bite, and then after a minute all they could say was “wow!”
Then I added a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it was game over. There wasn’t anything to debate. This cookie had earned its spot on the menu.
It’s warm, soft, gooey, filled with molten chocolate-hazelnut goodness, and finished with flaky sea salt for the perfect sweet-and-salty bite.
I can’t wait for you to try it!