Super Easy & Quick Nutella Brownies - For World Nutella Day!

Just in time for World Nutella Day, whew! Determined to put up a post this year, I had made a mental note of the date. But as happens often with me, I thought that 5th is another day away! I realization about the confusion coming after I spent half my 'me -time' yesterday sent me into panic! Thankfully, I had baked Abby Dodge's famous little brownie bites last week, but was not sure about the pictures I had taken. More of a norm than not, I had to again rush bake, take pictures and put them away before the daughter alighted from her bus. Helped that these can actually be put together by the time your microwave pre-heats ( i.e, in about 2-3 minutes!) and get baked in about 12 minutes!

Maybe Abby Dodge had harassed mothers and mothers with one eye fixed on the clock like me in mind when she created this recipe! Also patient, indulgent godmothers and grandmothers who love Sunday noon bake-play sessions. Yes, if you have not come across this recipe earlier, that's what this recipe is - child's play! The kind of recipe you may choose for your child to bake with her friends. Or may be bake them yourself for your Valentine if you are just about to start learning your way with butter, sugar and flour.
 

A whisk, a bowl, a spoon and a mini scoop is all you need to bake these brownies. As easy as simply mixing together Nutella, egg, flour and vanilla...that is it! Feel free to add some coffee, toasted chopped nuts or some chopped dark chocolate. And you would have baked the easiest, quickest brownies. A tad chewy, quite tasty and fudgy baked from scratch in about 20 (OK, lets make that 25, we are talking about kids and beginners)  minutes in all! These rich little things are better  baked as little bites in a mini muffin pan or the tiniest cake liners you may have. I prefer adding chopped hazelnuts or almonds to the batter as the chocolate chips may divert the taste from the nutty, chocolaty-enough taste of Nutella to more towards tasting very chocolaty... take your pick! Or you could use just the first 4 ingredients and bake. After all the simplicity and ease of the recipe is the best part about it!

Use the smallest whisk (not a fork) you have especially if making half the recipe. The seemingly so little bit of batter is quite thick and viscous, using a regular sized whisk may get most of it clinging to the whisk. A one tablespoon cookie scoop is best suited to scoop out the batter into the liners says Abby. If you don't have one, use 2 small spoons.

Easy Nutella Brownies - from here
Here’s what you’ll need:

• Nutella spread - 1/2 cup (I had earlier tried this recipe with another brand of chocolate hazelnut spread and it just did not work. So Nutella it has to be! )
• Egg - 1 large / 48 grams
• All purpose flour / maida -  40 grams / 5 tablespoons
• Toasted chopped hazelnuts /almonds/walnuts - 1/4 cup (recommended!) or 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• Vanilla extract - 1/4 teaspoon
• Instant coffee - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)

Procedure
1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees C/  350°F. Line a 12-cup mini muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
2. Put the Nutella, egg, coffee and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and well blended. Add the flour and whisk until blended. Fold in the nuts or chocolate chips if using.
3. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin (about 3/4 full).
4. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or more depending on the size of the muffin pan or liners. A tooth pick inserted will come out with wet, gooey crumbs and the surface begins to crack . Do not over-bake or they will be dry-ish (but still tasty). Set on a rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature. I have used slightly bigger cupcake liners and baked them for a little longer, about 15 minutes.

The texture of these brownies is not exactly the same as regular brownies, but they will surely satisfy your chocolate cravings. The taste apart, this recipe had to be on my blog as one of the most ridiculously simple recipes I have come across and tried with success. This recipe will thrill the newbie baker and kids alike - so bring on the beginners, the kids and the lazy foodies - this one is for you!