I’ve been on my psychiatry rotation for the past month. It’s been insane. It’s incredible how the brain can go so haywire – over-pruning blossoming neurons in schizophrenia or overexciting reward pathways in addiction. Respectively, today’s recipe is just too perfectly poised for the terrible puns of hazel”nut” and “chocoholic.” In all seriousness though, I’ve grown to more fully appreciate and respect the field of psychiatry and the work that physicians, nurses, and social workers do to help some of the most tragic, lost, and forgotten souls of society.

Baking has definitely benefitted my mental health over the years. Sometimes it’s during the most stressful times when I make the time to bake, and even better is when I get to share the finished goods with others. Today’s recipe is for fudgy, dark chocolate brownie bites that you can easily whip up in just one bowl. So in Margot and Peter-approved fashion ;), let’s get brownie baking!  

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Hazelnut Chocoholic Brownies

Makes 24 bite-sized brownies

Ingredients

• 160g sugar
• 80g cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 80g flour

Toppings

• 48 semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 24 hazelnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir in oil. Stir in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Stir in flour.
3. Divide the batter evenly into an oiled 24-well mini muffin pan (~1.5 tbsp batter each). Place a hazelnut in the center of each, submerging it in the batter, followed by two chocolate chips on top. (Alternatively, submerge two chocolate chips in the center of each and top with a hazelnut.)
4. Bake for 15 minutes or till a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.