Triple Chocolate Nutella Brownies
:: Megann’s Kitchen ::
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| :: triple chocolate nutella brownies with an easy salted caramel sauce :: |
For some reason, I
have always felt a special connection to brownies. It’s as if every time I make
the soft & fudgy chocolaty delight, it somehow makes me a little bit more
American - making me closer to my mother's Southern Kentucky roots. Silly, I
know, but I feel so proud when I make a traditional American dish – feeling my ancestors smile down on me from above.
These brownies are not from my grandmother’s traditional recipe bank, as hers are more cake-like consistency & my mother has told me that back in the day my version of brownies would be considered “under-cooked”. However, times have changed & the delicious fudgy goodness of this recipe will help put a delectable smile on any Americans face. Originally inspired by a taste.com.au recipe, I have altered it to make it my very own. With the addition of Nutella to the chocolate mixture then finishing it off with half dark chocolate/half white chocolate chunks, this has made them into triple chocolate brownies! My husband loves them, my toddler loves them & everyone at work loved them. A co-worker of mine even went as far as to say that they were the best brownies she had ever tasted! Well, I might just have to agree…
chocolate batter
180g butter, cubed
200g dark cooking chocolate, broken into
pieces
¾ cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted
¾ cup plain flour, sifted
brownie features
3 heaped Tbs Nutella (chocolate & hazelnut
spread)
100g white cooking chocolate, chopped into large
chunks
100g dark cooking chocolate, chopped into
large chunks
Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare an 18cm sharp edged square cake tin by greasing & lining with parchment paper. Place the broken chocolate & butter in a heatproof bowl. Position the bowl over a saucepan containing water (creating a double boiler) on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally until mixture is completely smooth. Remove from the heat & place on the bench top to cool slightly.
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| :: mixing through chocolate goodness :: |
Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare an 18cm sharp edged square cake tin by greasing & lining with parchment paper. Place the broken chocolate & butter in a heatproof bowl. Position the bowl over a saucepan containing water (creating a double boiler) on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally until mixture is completely smooth. Remove from the heat & place on the bench top to cool slightly.
Meanwhile,
combine the sugar, eggs, cocoa, vanilla, & flour in a mixing
bowl & stir until just combined. Add the melted chocolate mixture,
stir, then add the Nutella, white & dark chocolate
chunks & mix well. Pour the mixture into prepared tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes; keep in mind that
they are meant to be soft & fudgy in the middle. Cool completely in the
baking tin then place into the fridge to set. Cut into desired sizes &
serve!
optional extra: easy salted
caramel sauce (see below)
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| :: super easy salted caramel sauce :: |
easy salted caramel sauce (optional)
60g unsalted butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
150ml thickened cream
½ tsp sea salt flakes (I like Murray River Pink Salt)
+ plus
some extra to sprinkle on top
Gently
melt the butter in a saucepan over
low heat. Add the brown sugar &
stir until sugar has just melted. Then add the vanilla bean paste & carefully add the cream in small amounts so that the sugar doesn’t seize. Add sea
salt to taste. Set aside in the saucepan until serving time.
Kitchen Notes
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| :: the perfect brownie feature - chocolate chunks :: |
Kitchen Notes
:: You can add/swap the brownie features
to create your own individual brownies, these might include- 100g toasted
hazelnuts, 100g macadamias, 100g craisins, 100g broken Marie biscuits,
etc. Just make sure your “features” total 200 grams. Use
your imagination as the list is endless!
:: Don’t add the chocolate chunks or
eggs to a hot chocolate mixture. It can cause the chocolate chunks to
melt into the batter or the eggs to scramble.
:: You can easily make brownie muffins –
spoon mixture into prepared muffin tins lined with feature paper muffin
patties. Cook for 18-20 minutes & cool.
Spoon a small amount of salted caramel on top & chill. Once chilled,
sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Perfect to impress for a picnic or day out!
:: The salted caramel sauce is my go to for
any dessert dish – anything from sticky date puddings to ice cream. Be careful
not to let the caramel bubble too much on the stovetop. It may thicken
too much & become like a chewy toffee or crystallise, rather than
a smooth sauce.
:: If you like a creamier caramel, simply
add more cream.
:: To eat: Cold Brownies
straight from the fridge in Summer, ah-mazing!
 |
| :: tucking in to delicious, fudge like brownies with a chocolate crunch :: |
Style
:: When serving, pour the
salted caramel over the top of the brownies in front of your guests for a
“WOW!” effect. Finish off with a sprinkle of sea salt, roughly broken nuts
& a spoonful of double cream.
