Hello!
I’m in Nevada right now, visiting friends and fam. There’s been lots of shopping with my mama, eating of delicious things, and chatting way past my bedtime.
I’ll be out west for the next week and some change, celebrating the holidays. Before I left I made these brownies, dusted them with a mixture of cocoa powder and luster dust (sparkly!), packed them up pretty, and carried them with me on the plane. They’re fudgy, and deeply chocolatey, with a little crunch and nuttiness from chopped hazelnuts. I just LOVE hazelnuts, so I studded the batter with whole nuts so each square would be gem.
These brownies are pretty easy to whip up and brownie gifts are always well received.
Cocoa Brownies with Hazelnuts
Adapted from Alice Medrich’s Pure Dessert
To make these extra special, I used Valrhona cocoa powder.
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa (plus more for dusting, optional)
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
2 large, cold eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
16 whole hazelnuts for the top
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and line a 8×8 pan, set aside.
Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and combine butter, sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, and salt. Stir from time to time until butter is melted and mixture is smooth and hot to the touch. Remove bowl from pan of water and set aside to cool to warm.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon, then add eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter is thick, shiny, and well combined, add the flour, stirring just until it is incorporated. Then continue to beat vigorously for about 40 strokes. Fold in the nuts and scrape the batter into the pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula and stud whole nuts across the top in rows (4X4).
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a rack before cutting into 16 squares and dusting (optional).
The top box definitely had marshmallows in it. I’ll try to post those soon as well!
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
What a sweet gift! I love how you packaged them!
Sugar and Spice
Brownies do make such lovely gifts, don’t they? Helps that they last for quite some time. Love the way you wrapped your gifts! Have a wonderful Christmas Cindy! 🙂
cindy
Thank you! Have a happy holiday as well!
Megan
Hazelnut jewels. Just the best idea! And way to glitter-it-up. I bet every other nut gets jealous of the hazelnut. Just sayin’.
cindy
they’re totes jealous!
beti
your pictures are beautiful and I love how the brownies came out
Maria
My kind of brownie! Yum!
NicoleD
Oh man, I do love hazelnuts. I would do a cartwheel (or attempt one) if someone gave me these lovely treats! Have fun on your trip! I always stay up way too late when I visit home, too.
cindy
cartwheels for treats!
Liz
I also made homemade marshmallows as a part of my holiday treat packages to friends this year! 🙂
cindy
homemade marshmallows just make people happy!
Josefine
OMG I just have to try out some of your recepies tomorrow! Your pictures are really teasing my tounge./Josefine
Liza in Ann Arbor
I must say you take really good photos. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to buy a better camera and work on food photography. Joyeux Noel!
cindy
Thanks Liza! That’s a pretty great resolution! Happy Holidays!
Robyn {Planet Byn}
i`m in love with the top picture!so cute!
what katie's baking
mmm mmm mmm. i want those gifts! 😉
Terris-FreeEats
Yea Cindy! So happy to hear that you are visiting home. As someone who has moved a lot in life, I know how important these trips can be. Your homemade gifts look awesome too.
Vanessa
Well these are the most adorable photos I’ve ever seen. <3
cindy
thank you vanessa!
Vanessa
I’m obsessed with your photos.
Vanessa
I just saw that I had already posted on your wall. I’m a dork.
cindy
hah, it’s okay! thank you!
mycookinghut
Yum! Looks absolutely delicious!