Recipe | Nutella Stuffed Brown Buttered Blondies

Oh, my word!  You haven't lived until you try this recipe.  I have had such a (terrible) sweet tooth lately and can't help but pin at least 2-3 new dessert recipes on Pinterest every single day.  It's so bad, but so good! 

I've really gotten into baking and cooking lately.  I've always enjoyed cooking, but baking from scratch is something I've never done a ton of.  I decided after having Charlotte that I wanted to try to "do better", not only for myself, but for my family and get us on a schedule.  That includes making sure we have a home cooked meal and eat together in the evenings.    This doesn't always happen with having a toddler and a newborn, but I planned our meals for the entire (last) month and did our grocery shopping once a week.  You should try it!  It takes the "what should we have for dinner" right before dinner time out of the equation.  It's made such a difference for us.  And what kind of wife and mother would I be if I didn't include a baked from scratch dessert...totally kidding, of course!  The dessert portion is definitely selfish and more for me than the rest of the family, but don't tell them that :)

Ok...now on to the good stuff!

Browned Butter Blondies with Nutella Pockets

Yield: Makes one 2-quart pan, serves about 12

Ingredients

• 1 cup Nutella
• 10 tablespoons butter (1 stick + 2 tablespoons)
• 2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup Nutella

Instructions

1. Line a small baking sheet with wax paper and clear out some space in your freezer. I just sprayed a baking sheet with coconut oil if you don't have wax paper. Measure 1 cup of Nutella. Use 2 spoons to divide the Nutella into about 12 dollops on the wax paper, each one about 2 or 3 teaspoons. It doesn't have to be exact. Place the sheet in the freezer while you make the blondies.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line an 8x11x2 inch baking dish (2 quart) with parchment paper, or grease well.  I also just sprayed the baking dish with coconut oil and used a 12x12 pan. 
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the foam starts turning golden and the mixture smells nutty. Remove from heat and pour immediately into a mixing bowl.
4. Stir in the brown sugar and cream cheese. Beat for about 2 minutes, until slightly fluffy.
5. Add the vanilla, then the eggs. Beat well, scraping the sides.
6. Add the 2 cups of flour but don't mix it in. Use a small spoon to stir the baking soda and salt into the flour, then mix the flour into the batter. Stir until just combined.
7. Add the 1/4 cup Nutella and swirl it with a rubber spatula. Don't stir it in all the way, leave some streaks. Pour into the prepared 2-quart pan, spreading to the edges.
8. Remove the Nutella from the freezer. Use your fingers to push each dollop of Nutella into the dough. Distribute them evenly. Smooth the dough over the Nutella with a spatula.
9. Bake for 27-30 minutes, until golden brown on top. The edges should be very set. If the center still seems gooey but the top edges of the crust are starting to get dark, take it out.
10. Cool completely. Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and cut into bars.

The first thing my husband said to me, was "these would be good with ice cream"  I agree!  I actually had mine with a glass of almond milk and it was delicious. I dare you to try and not eat the entire pan in one sitting!

 

ENJOY!

 

*original recipe found at http://thefoodcharlatan.com/2014/04/04/nutella-stuffed-browned-butter-blondies/