Chocolate nutella cupcakes

This week marked the great exodus from my apartment to my parent's house. I'm officially homeless for the next couple of weeks, but more so, I'm kitchen-less. Its difficult baking in a kitchen you're unfamiliar with. You don't know where anything is, how finicky the oven can be, and in a way it puts you out of your baking groove.

Growing up, my parent's kitchen was a danger zone. For the most part I was prohibited from entering and when allowed to help, I was assigned menial tasks like peeling garlic. Yay, another head of garlic to peel. Woo! You see, some people have two left feet. As a child I had two left hands. I have many a memory of breaking dishes, my mother yelling at me to stand frozen where I was while she scurried around me with a broom or dust-buster.

However, I have to attribute this kitchen to my love of baking. In this kitchen, the oven is the most neglected appliance. Its still shiny knobs are only visited during the holidays with the occasional roast or large poultry. My parents never baked. I guess it became a novelty in my adolescent years and now an obsession.

Yesterday I revisited my parents oven with some chocolate nutella cupcakes. I mixed in some chopped up Italian chocolate studded with hazelnuts. Nutella made for a quick frosting and I topped each cupcake off with a hazelnut. The chocolate was so good I couldn't help but sneak a morsel or two.