During one of Beckett's naps this afternoon, my husband hung around the house and I got to go spend 90 blessed minutes ALONE, on the sand, staring at the ocean. Ok, there were people around me but you know - I wasn't chasing a baby or having to hold up my end of a conversation. It was just me, the sand, the sun and my Kindle. I am already scheming on how I can suddenly make millions of dollars so that we can buy our own beach property and come whenever we feel like it. At home, my husband and I always joke around when we're getting ready to throw something out - "Wait...should we pack it away for the beach house?" It's our fun little way of imagining 'what if' I guess - or maybe it's a morbid little way to torture ourselves...
Before I get to this yummy brownie recipe - I have to share with you one of my favorite pictures so far. It's been a funny vacation - all the older boys are off at sports camps or visiting with family so it's just the littlest and us. Beckett loved playing in the sand, but was not a fan of putting his feet in the water. As long as I was holding him, he laughed and laughed but he wanted no part of being in there himself!
He's a heartbreaker, isn't he?
Ok - enough babbling. On to the recipe. This is a recipe I sort of concocted before we left for vacation. We were in Costco loading up on some groceries for our stay, and I happened to see that Costco carries 2 massive jars of Nutella for a stupidly low price. We rarely have Nutella on hand, but I had to have it. So into the cart it went, and I couldn't wait to bake with it. I started dreaming of a chewy coffee flavored brownie, with marbled swirls of Nutella and big chunks of delicious chocolate. It turned out flavorful and rich and the flavors are awesome together. And besides, what says beach vacation and bathing suit weather like decadent brownies? Heh...
I was inspired by this coffee brownie recipe from MyRecipes.com - and of course, I adapted it just a little bit to add some more deliciousness!
Coffee Brownies with Nutella & Chocolate Chunks
- 1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 egg whites
- 1 egg
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry or all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Vegetable cooking spray
- 1/3 c. Nutella
- 1/2 c. chocolate chunks
Combine sugar, margarine, and coffee granules in a small saucepan. Place over low heat; cook for 4 minutes or until margarine melts and the mixture is smooth, stirring frequently.
Combine sugar mixture, vanilla, egg whites, and egg; beat at low speed of a mixer until smooth.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, beating well. Spread batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. To get the marbled effect, you will drop about a teaspoon of Nutella at a time, across the entire brownie mixture. Then take a knife and swirl the Nutella through the mixture to make a marbled pattern. Top with chocolate chunks.
Spread batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 18 - 22 minutes; let cool in pan.
Enjoy! These are YUMMY.
