Nutella Swirl Brownies

Que bella! How beautiful! These sweet, doting words followed my little brother and sister as we traveled throughout Italy as children. Being the older one, in that awkward teenage stage, those words were never intended for me. But my siblings, who are seven and eight…

Nutella Swirl Brownies

Que bella! How beautiful!

These sweet, doting words followed my little brother and sister as we traveled throughout Italy as children. Being the older one, in that awkward teenage stage, those words were never intended for me. But my siblings, who are seven and eight years younger, were, at that time, ripe with cuteness. They had pudgy cheeks and adorable clothes and sweet dispositions. The Italians, who adore children, fawned on them – it didn’t matter if it was the gentlemanly waiters at the restaurants or a gaggle of school girls – they would surround them and sigh, Que bella!

Our parents had taken us to a papal audience during our visit to Vatican City, and as the pope made his exit, a group of young girls pounced on my brother and sister, charmed by their adorableness. I’ll never forget the confusion it caused – passers by were confused by the commotion, and mistakenly thought that the pope was in our vicinity. The group grew in size, until a crowd surrounded us, wanting to see what was so “que bella!” Our parents found it all too amusing.

It’s no wonder that a place so rich with love and sweetness is also be the home of one of my weaknesses: Nutella. You too? Sometimes I wonder why we just don’t pick up and move there. It’s like California, but with more personality and charm, right?

I know I won’t be moving any time soon. And that’s fine (I’m patient). But when my dear friend Paula, who lives and breathes Italian cuisine in bell’alimento, asked me to guest post for her other love, Bella Nutella — well, I naturally could not refuse. I made for her, and for you, Nutella Swirl Brownies. The individual servings are almost like brownie souffles, rich and decadent, with soft Nutella centers. But I couldn’t stop there (and neither should you). Serve it up a la mode, with a generous drizzle of Nutella sauce and crushed hazelnuts.

Not that, my friends, is que bella.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to see my recipe for Nutella Swirl Brownies. I’ll be there on the other side. And don’t forget your spoon.

Comments

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  1. Lindsey @ Hot Polka Dot

    I love Nutella too and these brownies are que bella for sure! Thank you for your story. I do love stories!

    Reply
    • liren

      Oh Norma!!! Best laugh I’ve had all week :) Thank you, my dear friend for making me smile!!!

      Reply
  2. Dramatic Pancake

    I’m officially drooling…these look to die for! We had a French au pair (basically a foreign nanny who stays with you for a year) when I was a kid who introduced us to nutella. She got us totally hooked, and we got her hooked on peanut butter! :)

    Reply
  3. Jean

    I would love to live in Italy, even just for a little while. But it’s a good thing Nutella is widely available here–your brownies look amazing!

    Reply
  4. Jen Laceda @ Tartine and Apron Strings

    que bella, indeed!

    omg, we took our first child to Italy when she was 8 months old, and everywhere we travelled to, people were making a fuss about them. it was almost like we had a “free pass” to many things with our baby – a seat in the bus, a bigger room, free desserts in a restaurant, free drinks, gifts from strangers, line by-pass at a museum…life is beautiful! Heeheehee…

    Reply
  5. Maureen @ Orgasmic Chef

    I must have this recipe. So delicious I can’t stand it.

    I love the story about people thinking your brother and sister were the pope. I’d move to Italy in a heartbeat if I could live there and not be poor.

    Reply
    • liren

      I agree. I would love to move there, find a nonna that would adopt me and teach me all her kitchen secrets :)

      Reply
  6. patty

    Best looking brownies I’ve seen in a long time! Very cute story to go along with your brownies, too bad I couldn’t enjoy a serving while reading your post,lol;-)

    Reply
  7. Laura (Tutti Dolci)

    Oh yes, the Italians do love and adore children – what a fun story! As for the brownies, drool. Nutella is also a weakness of mine – it typically resides in the back of the pantry so I’m not tempted to eat it by the spoonful!

    Reply
  8. lea davenport

    OMG! can’t wait…..will be perfect for my ladies who lunch group!! Thank you….

    Reply
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