I had a container of nutella in my pantry that I'd been itching to use for something sweet. So I figured the combination of nutella and brownies would be pretty fabulous. I found a decent cocoa brownie recipe from Alton Brown and happily combined the two to a blissful marriage. However, I'm still debating if I like these brownies or not. They were really rich and decadent almost like a fudge, it was not reminiscent of the previous brownie recipe that I had. Everyone still loved them, but I think they could use some improvement.
Adapted from Alton Brown - Good Eats: Volume 1
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
1 cup cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons of Nutella, divided
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a square (8x8) baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add the sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix well.
3. Warm the nutella in the microwave for 20 seconds, it needs to loosen so it can spread easy. Add a heaping tablespoonful to the batter and mix well.
4. Pour the batter into 8-inch square pan. Add two more tablespoons of nutella on top of the batter and bake for 60 to 65 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it's done, remove the brownies with the parchment paper and move to a rack to cool. Cut into 9 large squares or smaller.
Review: Overall, I think I prefer chewy walnut brownies versus the nutella cocoa brownies. To improve this recipe, you would need more of that hazelnut flavor coming from hazelnuts, hazelnut extract or maybe even Frangelico. Maybe less cocoa powder as well to tone down that rich flavor. But if you're one for a big sweet tooth of nutella, then this recipe would be perfect.
