• 1 cup Nutella
• 10 tablespoons butter (1 stick + 2 tablespoons)
• 2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup Nutella

Instructions

1. Line a small baking sheet with wax paper and clear out some space in your freezer. Measure 1 cup of Nutella. Use 2 spoons to divide the Nutella into about 12 dollops on the wax paper, each one about 2 or 3 teaspoons. It doesn’t have to be exact. Place the sheet in the freezer while you make the blondies.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line an 8x11x2 inch baking dish (2 quart) with parchment paper, or grease well.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the foam starts turning golden and the mixture smells nutty. Remove from heat and pour immediately into a mixing bowl.
4. Stir in the brown sugar and cream cheese. Beat for about 2 minutes, until slightly fluffy.
5. Add the vanilla, then the eggs. Beat well, scraping the sides.
6. Add the 2 cups of flour but don’t mix it in. Use a small spoon to stir the baking soda and salt into the flour, then mix the flour into the batter. Stir until just combined.
7. Add the 1/4 cup Nutella and swirl it with a rubber spatula. Don’t stir it in all the way, leave some streaks. Pour into the prepared 2-quart pan, spreading to the edges.
8. Remove the Nutella from the freezer. Use your fingers to push each dollop of Nutella into the dough. Distribute them evenly. Smooth the dough over the Nutella with a spatula.
9. Bake for 27-30 minutes, until golden brown on top. The edges should be very set. If the center still seems gooey but the top edges of the crust are starting to get dark, take it out.
10. Cool completely. Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and cut into bars.

Notes