Thees’ Triple Chocolate Hazelnut, Nutella Brownies

Happy Valentine’s Day!  ….and for me Valentine’s is not just about loving couples, it is about showing your love for your friends and family.  And what better way to show your love than with chocolate!

I created this for a 5-year-old chocolate monster named Thees, I think if given the choice he might just like a spoon and a jar of Nutella for breakfast.

Now, I have to admit these have had a mixed reception with the kids, they either love or hate these brownies (but so far all grown-ups love them).  If you can believe it the kids who don’t like them say they are ‘too chocolaty’!

As with most of these recipes you can substitute a few things, e.g. a lighter chocolate, 50-60% (but not milk chocolate) and/or you could use peanut butter and peanuts in place of the Nutella and hazelnuts.

• 55g cocoa powder
• 170g butter
• 170g chopped 70% chocolate
• 55g cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs
• 80g flour
• 250g golden caster sugar
• ½  teaspoon salt
• 100g toasted hazelnuts (lightly chopped)
• 9 teaspoons of Nutella

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Melt butter and chocolate together in a large metal bowl set over simmering water (alternatively you can microwave in a glass bowl, just give 30-45 second blasts and mix well after each blast – you want it to just start melting but nit over cooked, if you keep stirring it will all smoothly met together). Set aside to cool slightly. Butter and flour a 2ocm square pan. Sift or whisk together cocoa and flour into a small bowl.  Beat the eggs, one at a time, into the melted butter/chocolate mixture. Add the sugar and salt then mix in the flour/cocoa mixture.  Fold in the hazelnuts and pout into the prepared pan. Drop 9 small teaspoons of Nutella evenly across the top of the brownies.  Take a knife and very gently swirl in- but don’t mix. Bake for 25-30 min, or until just set in the middle.  Let cool completely before cutting into squares. I usually get 16 squares – these are rich so you don’t need much.  If you want to make a full dessert out of these top then off with some nice vanilla ice cream…et voila!