Hazelnut Nocciolata Fudge Brownies

  • Hazelnut Fudge Brownies

    Guys, I’ve gotta tell you- the World’s Greatest Fudge Brownie just keeps getting better.

    Have you heard of Nocciolata?  Me neither, until recently.

    Think of it as Nutella on organic crack.  (Really- it’s a hazelnut chocolate spread that’s made from totally organic ingredients, so I don’t need to feel bad swirling them into my all-organic brownie batter.  Question: am I stupid to bake organic brownies and then stir copious amounts of non-organic things into them, like Coffee Crisp chocolate bars and Butterfingers and pretzels and stuff?  It’s a debate I have with myself sort of often, since I’m baking these at least twice a week.  Do the organic ingredients in the butter and eggs and stuff make up for the preservatives and additives and red dye #40 in the tasty candy bar shit I’m chopping up and stirring in?  Me thinks not, so let’s change the subject.)

    Anyway,  you won’t find red #40 or even yellow #5 in Nocciolata, because they don’t stock those colors on the organic farms in Italy where they make it.  So there.

    Adapted from my World’s Greatest Fudge Brownie Recipe…

    4 ounces chopped unsweetened chocolate

    3/4 cup unsalted butter

    2 cups sugar

    2 1/2 teaspoons real vanilla (use the real stuff)

    Optional: 1 tablespoon Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)

    3 lightly beaten eggs

    1 cup flour

    1 1/2 teaspoons salt

    Optional: 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

    3/4 cup Nocciolata hazelnut spread

    1/2 cup lightly toasted hazelnuts, chopped

    1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9 x 9 foil-lined pan.
    2. Melt chocolate & butter in microwave for 2:15 minutes and stir.
    3. Stir in sugar, then vanilla, then Frangelico (if using), then eggs, then salt, then espresso powder (optional) & flour.
    4. Sread batter into prepared pan, then spoon blobs of Nocciolata over surface of batter.  Using a sharp paring knife, swirl the hazelnut spread with the tip of the knife to ‘cut’ the spread into the batter.  Sprinkle toasted nuts over top.
    5. Bake for 33 – 36 minutes (until center is just set).
    6. Cool & cut into squares.
    7. Indulge.

    Tips:

    • Check out the original brownie post for more tips.
    • Toasting the nuts are easy if you put them on a pan in the hot oven… bake for about 8 minutes (until barely toasted and starting to smell like… hazelnuts).
    • These freeze really well.
    • Enjoy!

     

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    September 13th, 2014 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: , , ,

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