Cinnamon Hazelnut Brownies

I have been having the most incurable chocolate cravings lately! I don't even know why because normally, I'm not so much of a dessert person (odd considering how much I love to bake, but usually I only try one or two of whatever I make, and then offload the rest onto others). But, these past couple of weeks the cravings have been unrelenting and nothing, not even dark chocolate M&M's or Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, could cure them!
Alas, my search continued. But then, then I found these. These glorious, wonderful, amazing squares of rich, fudgy goodness and the incessant lust for chocolate was finally quashed!
I have Sugar Plum to thank for this; her spectacular Cinnamon Hazelnut Brownie recipe combines two of my very favorite chocolatey things: brownies and Nutella. Need I say more? No, probably not, but I will.
These brownies are chewy and dense with a slight spice from the cinnamon and a whole lotta crunch from the hazelnuts. They're pretty close to the best brownies around, in my humble opinion (and I have made some pretty magnificent brownies like these Mascarpone Brownies with a Chocolate Honey Sauce or these Cheesecake Brownies). I implore you, run to your kitchen and bake these immediately!

Cinnamon Hazelnut Brownies

recipe slightly adapted from here
makes 16 amazing brownies

ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch-processed)
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup Nutella (I actually used a different brand, Loacker, because that was what was at my grocery store, but the taste is the same)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla paste (or extract)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch square baking dish and line with parchment paper; grease paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate until melted.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the melted chocolate and sugar for a few minutes. Add in the Nutella, eggs, and vanilla and beat for a couple more minutes until fully combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add in the flour mixture. Beat until just combined.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the hazelnuts and chocolate chips over the top (I used a heavy hand when "sprinkling").
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are puffed and the center is set (mine baked 33 minutes). Don't overbake or they won't have that wonderful fudgy texture; it's honestly better to underbake them by a bit than overbake them!
7. Cool completely before slicing. It's easiest to refrigerate them before slicing and removing from the baking dish- plus they taste awesome nice and cold!