Confession #116: I'm a Dangerous Shopper... Nutella Brownie Easter Egg Nests

You know how everyone talks about Target - how they walk in and walk out with way more than they need? I never got that until now, but it's dangerous.

Target roped me in a few weeks ago when I needed to buy Cool Mint Oreos, pastel M&M's, and a few other things for some baking projects - because where else can you buy all those things in one place? I even wrote a list; the plan was to get in, get out, and get just the essentials. But then...I couldn't help slowing down by the kitchen aisles... stopping to look at all the fun cups, plates, and silverware... meandering down the food aisles just to "see what was there". And don't even get me started on the M&M's. Who knew so many types of M&M's even existed? Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut, peanut butter, mint, coconut... what the heck? How was I supposed to pick? I came for one type and went home with three - three types of M&M's that I didn't really know what to do with. And as I checked out at the cash register armed with my Oreos, my three bags of M&M's, and a few bars of chocolate (nothing else), the cashier made some remark about how that was his kind of shopping. Cringe :( (This isn't normal for me, honestly!)

But as it turns out, I should definitely take a weekly shopping trip to Target to raid the baking/candy aisles (haha) all in the name of research. It was perfect inspiration for Easter baking, because the M&M's Speck-tacular Eggs I bought eventually led to these - Nutella Brownie Cups. Marshmallow Creme on top. M&M Easter Eggs to top it all off. Nutella Brownie Easter Egg Nests, as I like to call them.

I love layers in my desserts, and this dessert has THREE delicious ones. The Nutella Brownie Cups are moist, soft and chewy, but not overly rich. It's like they were made to go with the creamy, fluffy Marshmallow Creme on top. And the M&M Speck-tacular Eggs, which are at least twice as good as regular M&M's because they have twice the chocolate, are like the crowning gems that you can't decide whether to eat first or last or somewhere in between. Does anyone else have these conundrums?

The best part about these Easter Egg Nests - besides the fact that they're way too cute - is the simplicity of the recipe. Not only are these crazy good, they're really easy to make! You need about 5 minutes to whip up the brownie batter and another 5 minutes once they're baked and cooled to decorate. As much as I love baking and can do it all day, I get that sometimes an easy dessert is nice. I'm pretty sure these would be a huge hit at the dessert table for Easter or any spring occasion. And really, who needs to hunt for eggs when you can find them right on top of your brownies?!

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Nutella Brownie Easter Egg Nests

These soft and chewy Nutella Brownie Cups are topped with a dollop of Marshmallow Creme and M&M's Speck-tacular Eggs. They're perfect for Easter and would add a colorful flair to any springtime dessert table!

• Cook Time: 12 minutes
• Total Time: 12 minutes
• Yield: 12 brownies 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 ⅝ ounces all-purpose flour (½ cup plus 2 tablespoons, spoon and level)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 10 ½ ounces Nutella (1 cup)
• 2 eggs

Decoration

• Marshmallow Creme
• M&M's Speck-tacular Eggs, or any similar chocolate candy eggs*

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Whisk together the flour and salt. Add the eggs and nutella and mix in with a rubber spatula just until everything is evenly combined. (It might look like the batter won't come together smoothly at first, but it will.)
3. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ⅓ of the way full. Verge on underfilling the cups rather than overfilling them, since it's easier to add batter in than take it out. Smooth out the tops of the brownies with your fingertip, if needed.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. The tops should look mostly set, although some may still look a little wet in the center. I would not recommend baking the brownies any longer.
5. Cool the brownies in the pan for about 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. Once the brownies have been out of the oven for a few minutes, use your finger to gently press on the center of each one to increase the indent in the middle.

Decorating

1. Place marshmallow creme in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (I used Ateco #808). Pipe creme into the indent in each brownie. Top each with 3 M&M's Speck-tacular Eggs.
2. Serve immediately, or keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Notes

*You could easily substitute the candy eggs with regular M&M's or any other small candy of your choice and make this an all-year round dessert. Even chocolate chips would be great!

Nutella Brownie Cups adapted from: Butter Baking, originally from Desserts 4 Today by Abigail Dodge

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