Nutella Brownie - Browniebabe of the Month

I’m not a big peanut butter fan but I can eat Nutella by the spoonful. My goal was to make a Nutella-esque brownie by using Nutella in the batter and topping the brownies with hazelnuts. I have to admit, I sometimes use boxed brownie mixes but I found that making them from scratch is almost as simple. The perfect brownie is dense, chewy, fudgy, and devoid of nuts but these brownies are an exception to the nut rule.

Nutella Brownies
6 tbsp butter
3 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/4 C nutella
1/2 C sugar (I used 6 Tbsp)
2 eggs
1/2 C flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C hazelnut, chopped

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a square baking pan with 2 sheets of aluminum foil perpendicular to each other. This makes the brownies really easy to lift out. You can also grease the foil but I didn't.

Roughly chop chocolate and cut butter into small pats. Melt butter and chocolate over a double boiler or on low power in the microwave. I used the microwave at 30% power and stirred every minute; it took about 3 minutes.

Whisk in nutella, eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add flour and mix until just incorporated (do not over mix).

Spread into baking pan and scatter chopped hazelnuts on top of the brownies. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.**

Start checking the brownies at 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies should come out with moist crumbs (if it comes out clean then the brownies have overbaked). It is better to underbake than overbake.

Notes:
*I found that the brownies did not have enough hazelnut flavor so next time I use some hazelnut liqueur, like Frangelico, or extract.
**Because I used a glass baking pan, I lowered the oven temp to 325ºF but I had to bake for almost 30 minutes.

Links:
I'm going to submit this recipe to Myriam for the Browniebabe of the Month Event.


Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich



I really thought I was on to something new by using brownies for ice cream sandwiches. But Google told me I wasn't the first only one who thought of this idea. So much for being the pioneer of a new dessert.

Cut brownies into the desired size of ice cream sandwich. Chill brownies in the freezer for 20 minutes so it is easier to slice. Slice the brownie in half horizontally. Add about 1/4 C ice cream to the bottom half of the brownie and smooth out the top and sides. Add the top half and lightly pat down the sandwich. Chill the sandwich in the freezer for another 20 min before serving.

I used coffee ice cream for the sandwich. The chocolate, hazelnut, and coffee flavors were reminescent of a hazelnut mocha.