Nutella Fudge Cupcakes

I confess, I love chocolate, and I love Nutella.  We buy it at Costco and actually keep it on hand!  Even my husband, the not-so-much chocolate guy, likes Nutella.  He actually helped me make this recipe from  "Fine Cooking Cookies 2010" – and after we tasted one, he said – "maybe Bettie doesn’t like chocolate and we can eat them all ourselves instead of taking some to coffee time in the morning"!

This is my kind of recipe – self-indulgent but so easy a child can make them.  The hardest part is getting the sticky dough in the little paper cups.  I found my size 60 scoop did the job.  I made them in my Breville toaster oven in my little 12 cup mini-muffin pan; it probably took less than a half hour.  If you can’t find hazelnuts – a trick except near the holidays, try chopping slivered almonds.  You won't be able to eat just one!

                          Nutella Fudge Cupcakes

     1/2 Cup  Nutella

  1        Large  Egg

  5        Tablespoons  Flour, All-purpose

     1/4 Cup  Hazelnuts -- chopped

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°.  Line a 12 cup mini muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk the Nutella and egg until smooth and well blended.  Add the flour and whisk until blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffintins about 3/4 full and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.  (I used a size 60 scoop)

Bake until a pick comes out with wet, gooey crumbs, 11-12 minutes.

Set on a rack to cool completely.  Serve immediately or cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

2011 Cost:  $1.61 or 14¢ each, depending on the cost of nuts.

Per Serving: 90 Calories; 5g Fat (51.4% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 18mg Cholesterol; 16mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Fat.