Nutella Brownies

Nutella Brownies - made November 25, 2015 from Handle the Heat

Still trying to use up my Nutella. Unlike the NutellaFudge Brownies, instead of a layer of Nutella fudge on top of the brownie, this incorporated Nutella in the batter. Previous experience has taught me the Nutella flavor would get lost in the brownie batter and would probably be there more for moistness than actually providing Nutella flavor. 

Never fear; an easy way to get around that is to add dollops of Nutella as you spread the brownie batter. I spread half the batter on the bottom of the pan, dolloped Nutella generously over it then covered it all with the rest of the brownie batter. The result? A thick fudgy, chocolate brownie with surprise Nutella lava goodness in almost every bite.

I do suggest letting these cool to room temperature before consuming. If you can wait that long, the texture is more like baked fudge and the Nutella flavor is more pronounced. If you eat it while it’s too warm, it’ll be more mushy than fudgy. Trust me, fudgy is better.

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar`
1/2 cup Nutella
3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (3.4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, butter, and unsweetened chocolate. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute then stir. Continue heating in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until the mixture is melted and smooth but not scorched. Remove from the microwave and let cool slightly. Stir in the Nutella. 
3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until light and thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. 
4. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. 
5. Add the flour, cocoa, and salt, folding gently until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. 
6. Bake until a tester comes out with moist crumbs still attached, 35 to 40. Do not overbake.