Nutella Chocolate Chip Brownie Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes worth) with baking cups. Set pan aside.

For the cupcakes, melt butter and chocolate together in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove pan from heat and stir in the sugar. Allow to cool prior to adding eggs.

Once cooled to room temperature, add the eggs and vanilla; stir until the batter is smooth. Add chocolate chips and flour, mixing all the ingredients well together.

Pour batter into baking cups filling 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the brownie clean. Let brownies cool for an hour.

Once brownie cupcakes have cooled, scoop out the center of the brownie with a teaspoon, leaving a small circular spoon-shaped cavity. Fill the the brownie center with a teaspoon of Nutella, sprinkle with a few hazelnuts.

Let brownies continue to cool. In the meantime prepare the frosting by combining sugar, egg whites, and salt in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar has dissolved and mixture registers 160ºF on a thermometer.

Return bowl to the mixer and beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Let mixture cool for about 10 minutes. Mix again on medium speed, then add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until mixture is smooth. Mix in vanilla and caramel extract.

Frost the cooled brownies, sprinkle with more hazelnuts, and drizzle with caramel sauce. Devour immediately—you worked hard for these!