Hazelnut Brownies

A hazelnutty, ferrero-rocher inspired twist on my favorite brownies. These brownies use plenty of dark chocolate, cocoa, and hazelnut praline paste in the batter, and are topped with a layer of chocolate with crunchy roasted hazelnuts. They are so incredibly fudgy and rich that I like to cut them into tiny squares and savor them fridge-cold like a chocolate truffle, but they can of course be cut into traditional brownie squares for a softer, gooey-er bite. Serves 16-20.

Ingredients:

For the brownies:

• 135 grams unsalted butter
• 150 grams dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
• 60 grams hazelnut praline paste
• 180 grams granulated white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional
• 30 grams dutch process cocoa powder
• 100 grams all-purpose flour

For the chocolate hazelnut glaze:

• 100 grams dark chocolate (65-70%, cocoa solids), finely chopped
• 50 grams milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 15 grams coconut oil
• a pinch of salt
• 40 grams roasted and peeled hazelnuts, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
2. Line an 8×8 inch (20 x 20 cm) metal baking pan with parchment paper.
3. Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave in 20-second increments, or on the stove over a pot filled with about an inch of simmering water. Add the cocoa powder and whisk to combine. Let cool slightly.
4. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar and salt, and whisk until pale and thick and the sugar has dissolved (this can be done by hand with a whisk, or with ane electric mixer).
5. Pour the chocolate-butter mixture into the eggs and whisk thoroughly.
6. Add the hazelnut praline and espresso powder (if using) and whisk again.
7. Add the flour. Fold together until combined.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter once to get rid of any large bubbles.
9. Bake for 17-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs attached (not covered in batter, but not completely clean either – the bake time can vary in different ovens, so keep an eye on them!).
10. While the brownies are cooling, make the hazelnut chocolate glaze:
    • Melt the dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and oil in the microwave in 15-second increments, or on the stove in a heatproof bowl over a pot filled with about an inch of simmering water.
    • Add the salt and chopped hazelnuts and mix well, then pour over the cooled brownies.
      • I like to give chopped hazelnuts a few shakes in a fine strainer or sieve, to remove any tiny pieces of hazelnut, but this is optional.
11. For a firmly set glaze, chill the brownies in the fridge for a few hours. If you slice immediately after glazing, the chocolate will still be melted and quite messy to slice (but still delicious!).
12. Enjoy! Hazelnut brownies will keep in an airtight container for a day, and refrigerated or frozen for longer storage.

Notes:

• What is hazelnut praline?
  • Hazelnut praline paste is a mixture of burnt sugar and roasted hazelnuts, ground into a smooth paste. You can make your own or use a storebought praline. If using storebought, make sure it is a high-quality praline, with minimal ingredients (mainly just hazelnuts, sugar).
  • If you can’t find hazelnut praline, you can try a chocolate hazelnut spread such as nutella, although I haven’t tested this option.
• I don’t recommend baking these in a glass baking pan – but if that’s all you have, the brownies will take a bit longer to bake and will not be as fudgy.
• My favorite part of this recipe is the crunchy chocolate hazelnut layer, but you can skip it and instead add chopped roasted hazelnuts and chocolate chunks to the brownie batter before baking.