Whole Wheat Chocolate and Nutella Squares

A friend of mine ran across this recipe when she was looking for ways to use some whole wheat flour that she had in her pantry. I also had some Bob's Red Mill whole wheat flour in my kitchen, and I had a lunch date planned with my friend for the coming weekend. As she was super busy at work, I decided to try her recipe and present her with a plate of these treats. The original recipe relied solely on chocolate chips for flavor, but I decided to add a bit of Nutella for a different twist.

The resulting squares were very much like brownies, but more dense in texture. They were very easy to put together, but they took quite awhile to completely bake through. In the end you could definitely taste the whole wheat flour, and they were not overly sweet. Kiddos might not be too crazy about them, but the adults that tried them appreciated the fact that they were almost like a chocolate bread. They were perfect to share with a good friend while enjoying a cup of coffee and good conversation.

Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Chocolate and Nutella Squares
by Chris
Adapted from The Lemon Bowl

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar
8 Tablespoons applesauce
4 Tablespoons butter (unsalted), warmed to room temperature and cubed
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour
Dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup Nutella (hazelnut spread)
1/2 cup semi- sweet chocolate chips

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown sugar, white sugar, applesauce, butter, large egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix on low speed for approximately 2 to 3 minutes until mixed well. In a separate bowl combine the whole wheat flour, the salt, and the baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer bowl. Mix all ingredients together at a medium speed until well incorporated.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and add the chopped pecans, Nutella, and chocolate chips. Mix gently by hand. Spray an 8"x 8" baking dish with nonstick spray and pour the batter in. Preheat your oven to 350°F, and cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. When oven is heated, place baking pan inside for one hour. After an hour, check the bars, but do not be surprised if they are not yet done. Re-cover and place in the oven again. I allowed mine to cook, covered, for another half hour (1 1/2 hours total, covered.) After this time, I removed the cover and checked them again every 20 minutes. Overall, my bars took about 2 hours and 10 minutes to cook completely. They will puff up, crisp on top and smell wonderful when they are ready. Remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting. If desired, drizzle the individual squares with warmed chocolate or Nutella before serving. Makes 9 squares.