Nutella Brownies

HAPPY WORLD NUTELLA DAY! 

Yes folks, it legitimately is World Nutella Day today, February 5th! I found this out a couple of days ago and I'm so glad I didn't miss it! Pretty sure it should be a public holiday, Nutella is of vast importance in contemporary society and it should not go unnoticed. So I think you should all get behind the cause and eat the delicious chocolate hazelnut spread armed with a spoon and a super big tub of the stuff!

What else has been happening in my life, you ask? Well I have just about recovered from my glandular fever (hooray!), and am feeling as fit as a fiddle, ready to do the things one should in the holidays preceding university. I've started packing to move out, it certainly feels odd packing the contents of my life into a suitcase (or let's face it, various suitcases, I have a lot o' junk). But other than that, just waiting, waiting, waiting for life to begin again.

But let's talk about these brownies. I went kinda crazy with the whole "Nutella Day" concept and made both brownies and ice cream, which I will save for a post in the very near future. Sooooo these brownies have Nutella in them, and on them in the form of a hella good frosting. You could have them without it, but I thought I'd go all out and whack it on anyway! Oh, and they have Ferrero Rocher chocolates in them too, just to add that extra level of "health". And insane goodness.

To top it all off I added sprinkles, because sprinkles are completely necessary.

In a hilarious episode of miscommunication, I bought a huge tub of Nutella even though Mum already bought said-needed-tub the day before. And for good measure I bought a little one too. So now we won't be needing to buy Nutella for pretty much the rest of our lives. But it's not a bad situation to be in I don't think!

People! Do not waste this opportunity! These brownies are pretty much the best thing ever. Like, EVER. Make them for your friends, make them for your family, hell, make them for your worst enemy!  I can guarantee they won't be your nemesis for long. And again, happy World Nutella Day!

Nutella Brownies

{Adapted from My Baking Addiction }

Makes 18

Ingredients:

For the brownies:

100g dark chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup Nutella

3/4 cup unsalted butter, chopped into cubes

1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups plain flour

12 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, chopped in half

For the frosting:

1 cup Nutella

2/3 cup thickened cream

1 tbsp maple syrup

125g unsalted butter, diced

Sprinkles (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a brownie pan with baking paper.

In a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate, Nutella and butter together until smooth and shiny. Whisk in eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Sift in flour and stir till combined.

Spread half the batter into the tray and scatter Ferrero Rochers evenly over the batter. Top up with remaining batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean, but DON'T OVERBAKE.

Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely.

For the frosting, heat the cream and syrup in a small saucepan until just boiling. Remove from heat and stir in Nutella and butter until smooth. Refrigerate until the frosting is thickened, then either spread over brownies and cut into squares, or pipe onto individual squares. Sprinkle with sprinkles and enjoy!