Nutella-Stuffed Browned Butter Blondies

Nutella-Stuffed Browned Butter Blondies - made September 25, 2021 from The Food Charlatan

1 cup Nutella

10 tablespoons butter

2 cups dark brown sugar, packed

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla 

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Nutella

1. Line a small baking sheet with wax paper. Measure 1 cup of Nutella and use two spoons to divide the Nutella into 12 dollops on the wax paper, about 2-3 teaspoons each. Place the sheet in the freezer.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 11 x 2" baking pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring until butter foams, smells nutty and browned bits appear at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. 
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the brown sugar and cream cheese until well combined. Pour in the hot browned butter and beat until combined and slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla then the eggs, beating after each addition.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined.
6. Fold in 1/4 cup Nutella, leaving some streaks swirled into the batter. Pour into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer with small spatula. 
7. Remove the Nutella from the freezer. Use your fingers to push each dollop of Nutella into the dough, distributing them evenly. Smooth the dough over the Nutella with a spatula.
8. Bake for 27-30 minutes, until golden brown on top and the edges are set. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

This one's for the Nutella lovers who can't get enough Nutella. The key is to freeze the 12 dollops of Nutella first so you can be sure to get pockets of liquid goodness even after the blondie has been baked and cooled. Otherwise, the recipe is pretty simple and straightforward to follow. I didn't have an 8 x 11" pan so I baked it in a 9 x 9" pan and it worked fine. These turned out a bit gooey so I think it could've used a few minutes longer in the oven. The top formed a crust, which I didn't love, but the taste was still good.