Hazelnut Brownies

I saw some Killer Kahlua Brownies on Cookie Madness.  I thought the brownies looked fudgy and like they baked in to what I think are perfect brownies.  So I had to make them.  But we don’t drink/use Kahlua, so I decided to try some other flavoring.  I used some Torani hazelnut flavoring. 

I decided to kick up the hazelnut flavor and added some Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts to the brownies (the Kahlua recipe has semi sweet chocolate chips).  These sure seem like they are made with dark chocolate, but it’s just cocoa powder.  Since I only had a 3 ounce bar of the Milk Chocolate, I did also add 3 ounces of Lindt 70% Excellence dark chocolate as the original recipe has six ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips.  I did really like the addition of the hazelnut milk chocolate and wish I’d had more nuts to add.  The hazelnut flavoring isn’t too strong, but you do get a taste of it after eating a bite or two, almost to where you’d think there was something there, but have a hard time thinking what it was.

 Hazelnut Brownies, by Katrina, adapted from Anna at Cookie Madness and Dying For Chocolate

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

6 tablespoons cocoa powder (30 grams)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons boiling water

2 tablespoons hazelnut flavoring

1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2/3 cup all purpose flour (80 grams)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 ounces Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts, chopped

3 ounces 70% cacao dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8x8 inch square pan with foil.  Spray the bottom of the pan. 

Melt the butter and set aside to cool.  In a medium sized bowl, combine the cocoa powder, baking soda and half the melted butter.  Add the boiling water and hazelnut flavoring.  Stir together with a wire whisk until blended.  Stir in sugar, beaten egg and remaining butter.  Whisk in the flour and salt then fold in the chocolate.  Spread the batter evenly in the pan.  Bake for 27-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.  Let cool on a wire rack to room temperature.  Chill in refrigerator for an hour or so.  Remove brownies from pan using foil edges.  Cut into 14 squares. 

You go get the milk.  I’ve got brownies!

The foot of snow we’ve had for a couple weeks now is finally starting to melt! 

Aw!  I know.

I am putting these brownies in a link on Lisa’s blog, Sweet as Sugar Cookies, for her new linky group, Sweets For A Saturday.