Baci Brownies I figured that a few miles of daily walking warranted two gelatos a day. One of those was always the flavor called baci. Not only did baci sound romantic (it means “kisses”), but the gelato paired the chocolate and hazelnut that I loved so much in the rich little candies of the same name.

Ingredients

1 cup (about 4½ ounces)

hazelnuts

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks)

unsalted butter

6 ounces unsweetened

chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

NUTELLA SWIRL

½ cup Nutella

1 large egg

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Method 

PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. Line a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with foil, making sure there’s at least a 2-inch overhang on both of the short sides. Gently press the foil into the corners. Butter the foil.

PLACE the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until lightly golden. Spill the nuts onto a dish towel and rub them with the towel to loosen and remove most of the skin. Transfer the nuts to a cutting board and chop coarse.

WHISK together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

MELT the butter and chocolate in a large saucepan over very low heat, stirring often, until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition.

MIX in the vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture until fully incorporated, then stir in one-third of the toasted hazelnuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

FOR THE NUTELLA SWIRL:

Combine the Nutella, egg, and flour in a glass measuring cup and stir with a fork until thoroughly blended. Drop small spoonfuls of the Nutella mixture evenly over the brownie batter. Use a knife to gently swirl it through the batter.

SPRINKLE the remaining hazelnuts on top. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35 to 38 minutes or until the top is set and the edges have begun to pull away from the sides of the pan. Don’t overbake or the edges will be dry. Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 2 hours.

HOLDING on to the two foil ends, lift the brownie up and onto a cutting board. Peel the foil away from the sides of the brownie. Cut lengthwise into quarters, then cut crosswise into 8 strips to yield 32 bars. Because these are so rich, you can also cut them into 10 or 12 strips to make 40 or 48 smaller bars, respectively.

STORE, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container for up to 4 days; or refrigerate, tightly wrapped, for up to 1 week; or freeze for up to 2 months.

Tip:

A thin-bladed knife dipped in hot water and then dried will make slicing the brownies easier. Wipe the knife clean of sticky, fudgy crumbs after each slice.