nutella brownies

August 1, 2011 by 10 Comments

We have a bit of a civil war going on in our house. It’s the Nutella lovers versus the Nutella haters. I, because I am awesome and always right, love Nutella. Lucy, because she is a mini-me and equally awesome, loves Nutella.

Dave, human garbage disposal, will eat pretty much anything EXCEPT Nutella (I blame his formative years being spent in Europe, where they use this stuff like butter). Charlie is the tie breaker. She’s a baby who can’t eat Nutella yet. So she defaults into Dave’s category (although I’m very optimistic that she’ll turn the tables once she is older) .

Two for, two against. They say a house divided against itself cannot stand. But since I am the baker, I dictate what sweets emerge from the oven. And this weekend, it was Nutella brownies.

If you don’t know what Nutella is, you’ve been living under a rock  let me explain: it’s a creamy, chocolatey spread made from hazelnuts and cocoa. Think of it as chocolate-flavored peanut butter with a slightly nutty taste. Most grocers carry it on the peanut butter aisle.

To make these brownies, you’ll also need some vanilla extract, sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, butter, eggs, hazelnuts and chocolate chips.

What is there not to love about Nutella? It’s creamy. It’s chocolatey. It can be spread on bread or swirled into yogurt, dolloped on ice cream or dipped with a graham cracker.

I found hazelnuts on my grocer’s bulk foods aisle and they were pretty inexpensive. We’ll use them later to top these gorgeous brownies. It gives them a nice crunch and makes them purdy.

Begin by melting together the butter and sugar together with a few tablespoons of water. Stir often.

Just as it begins to boil, remove from heat. We don’t want scorched butter on our hands.

Stir in the Nutella…

…and beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla, too.

Whisk in the flour, baking soda and salt until smooth.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Have a tiny helper grease a baking pan for you. Sure, you have to wash butter hands afterwards, but look how much fun she’s having!

Spread the batter into the greased pan.

Chop the hazelnuts and sprinkle them on top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes in a 325F oven. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean (just make sure you’re poking the batter and not a melted chocolate chip—give the toothpick a little taste to make sure. Over-baking these puppies is not allowed).

Here’s the kicker: let cool completely before cutting. The chocolate chips will solidify and the brownies will become denser and more fudgy as they cool. Trust me, it’s worth it.

See? Told you.

The bittersweet chocolate chips add a perfect contrast to the richness of the batter, and the nuts on top give a nice crunch. These little squares disappear fast.

For the moment in our house it seems the Nutella lovers are winning. Poor Dave. He never stood a chance. But as they say, to the victor go the (nutty, chocolatey) spoils.

Nutella Brownies    printable deliciousness

It’s torture to let these brownies cool completely before eating, but you’ll be rewarded handsomely if you can stand it (as they cool, they become more fudgy and the chocolate chips solidify). Makes one 9″x9″ pan of brownies. 

  • 1/3 c butter
  • 3/4 c sugar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 3/4 c Nutella
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 c flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 c bittersweet chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli 60% chips)
  • 1/3 c hazelnuts
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9″x9″ baking pan with butter.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat melt butter, sugar, and water, stirring often. When mixture just begins to boil, remove from heat. Stir in Nutella. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared baking pan.
3. Chop hazelnuts and sprinkle over batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not over-bake. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
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cream cheese mashed potatoes

October 28, 2010 by 7 Comments

I begin mentally planning my Thanksgiving menu in July. The hot weather and the constant sun make me yearn for the cooler weather of fall, a little rain, and the comforting foods that you’re only allowed to make when the weather sucks. I’m so excited that fall is finally here and I can begin plotting my recipes in earnest.

Needless to say, I’ve been thinking about these mashed potatoes for a while. They’re the only thing on my menu that doesn’t change. Cream cheese brings a fluffy richness to mashed potatoes that plain butter and milk can’t, and once you’ve tried them you’ll never go back.

The recipe is simple: yukon gold potatoes (I find that their texture for mashed potatoes is preferable to any other variety), one package of cream cheese, salt and pepper, whole milk (or half and half, if you want to get a little crazy) and butter.

I forgot to picture the butter, and it may be a first in the history of this blog. Usually it’s the first thing on my mind.

Begin by scrubbing and rinsing the potatoes. Peel off the skins if you must, but I like to leave them on for a little texture. Slice each potato lengthwise…

..and then turn and slice again.

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook just until the potatoes are fork-tender and the skins begin to separate themselves.

Drain, pour into the bowl of your stand mixer and mash with a hand masher.

Next,  add the cream cheese, butter, and half of the milk. Mix with the paddle attachment until you achieve the consistency that you like, adding more milk gradually if you need to. If you like them really light and fluffy, switch to the wisk attachment and continue mixing (I like mine a little lumpy, but to each her own). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

And there you have it. Perfectly creamy, perfectly decadent mashed potatoes. I wouldn’t trade them for any horseradish, bacon, blue cheese or sour cream mashed potato recipe in the world.

And come Thanksgiving day, you can bet these suckers are going to grace my table. They’re champs at gravy volcanoes, experts at mingling with the cranberries, pros at hanging with the turkey.

What’s your favorite mashed potato recipe?

-RDG

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Using reduced fat or low fat cream cheese is fine, but nonfat doesn’t work as well. Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

  • 3 lbs yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, rinsed and quartered
  • 1 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2-1 cup whole milk, warmed
  • 1/2 stick butter, softened
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and their skins begin to come off, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and mash with a potato masher.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine potatoes, cream cheese, butter, and 1/2 cup of the milk. Mix on medium-low, adding more milk if needed, until they reach desired consistency. Add salt and season with pepper to taste.

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