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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Day 45 with Nutella


Today I tasted the best cookies ever!  Chef Thomas Kozinsky made these delicious cookies.  He was a bit reluctant to give me his recipe but he finally agreed and now I get to share it with you all!  These cookies are made with a lot of love and a lot of Nutella...Love and Nutella do go together, after all!  I hope you enjoy them.  If you do like the cookies, please post a comment and I will pass it along to Chef Tom! 


Nutella Cookies


Ingredients:
1 cup softened unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp vanilla
¾ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 26.5 oz jar of Nutella

2 ¾ cup Flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt – kosher

¾ cup toasted hazelnuts


Mix together the first 6 ingredients until blended very well. Set aside

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add this to the first 6 ingredients that are already blended. Mix everything together thoroughly. Add the toasted hazelnuts and mix in.

Take the dough and freeze until very firm. You want it to feel like almost as hard as frozen cookie dough.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Put the cookie dough in ¼ size balls on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for about 15 mins or until the cookies are firm but don’t overcook them or they will be too crunchy.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Day 44 with Nutella

It's been awhile since my last post...It's almost like I had to take the summer off.  While on my hiatus I was still dreaming of Nutella.  A friend of mine sent me a link to a recipe for Nutella Puppy Chow recipe and of course I was intrigued.  Nutella for dogs?  Surely not...  Turns out it's for humans, it just looks like it's for the dog...while not the most attractive thing I have ever made, it sure is delicious and is very popular with the kiddos....they all crack up about eating dog food. 

Here's a picture of my Nutella Puppy Chow
 



Like I said, it looks a bit like dog food...hence the name but, wait until you taste it.  You can't stop eating it.  Yummy deilish and pretty easy to make.









Nutella Puppy Chow Recipe ( my adapted version)

Ingredients:


• 1/2 cup butter

• 1 cup Nutella

• 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips (use semi-sweet)

• 2 cups Pecans

• 12 oz box of  RiceChex
• 3 -4 cups powdered sugar

Method:

• In a 350 degree preheated oven, roast pecans until fragrant and light brown, about 10 minutes.  Let them cool and then grind finely in a food processor.

• Put the cereal in a large bowl

• On a pan over medium-low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips stirring constantly - I use a double boiler so I don't scorch the chocolate

• When all is melted, remove from heat and add Nutella and stir until mixed in, then add pecans and stir well.

• Slowly pour over cereal and stir with your hands! It’s much easier than with a spoon.
• Add about half the mixture to a gallon sized plastic ziploc bag, add the about 1 cup of powdered sugar and shake. you can always add more powdered sugar.  You want it to coated to the point of it being light brown.

After it's all coated, I put the mixture on a cookie sheet for about 20 mins to let it cool more.  The put it in a bowl and serve.  It won't last long!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Day 43 with Nutella

How about Nutella with animal crackers?  Sounds good to me.  According to Wikipedia,  animal crackers are crackers in the shapes of animals, some brands of which are sweetened. These are usually animals one would see at the zoo or circus, including lions, tigers, bears, and elephants. There is debate about whether or not animal crackers are actually crackers or cookies. They resemble crackers due to the way they are made, with layered dough, but the use of sweetened dough gives them the cookie taste and consistency. Traditionally they come in a box with a handle on the top. The string handle was originally added so the box could be hung as a Christmas ornament and carried easily by young children.  Probably more than you wanted to know about animal crackers...anyway, next time you and your kids are bored you can play animals ( animal crackers) get stuck in the mud pit ( Nutella) and then eaten by the big monster ( you)!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Day 42 with Nutella

Chocolatey Nutella Rice Krispy Treats


Remember the Rice Krispy Treats?  Well if you love them, then you will love them with Nutella.  Make a batch of Rice Krispy Treats according to the directions. Set aside.  Melt 3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips...after they have melted, add 1 1/2 cups Nutella.  Stir until smooth.  Pour the mixture over the rice krispy treats and let cool for a few hours.  Cut into squares and munch out!

Monday, May 3, 2010

Day 41 with Nutella

Nutella Bread Puddin' recipe courtesy of my friend Lili.  This looks so delish, you just want to lick the picture!  Enjoy!

Bread puddin recipe:

1/2 loaf of Challah bread, cubed (about 3-4 cups total)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup raisins, soaked in water for 5 minutes
1 t cinnamon

Topping
4 T butter
1/2cup brown sugar
3 T flour
1-2 t cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 c slivered or sliced almonds
Nutella/ cream cheese swirl
1/4 c Nutella

1/4c cream cheese
1/4c powdered sugar
2T heavy cream

(Mix the 3 ingredients above in a small bowl and put in a small baggie or pastry bag. Pipe over bread intermittently with piping Nutella

Place bread in a buttered baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over. Gently toss to coat. While the bread soaks, combine topping ingredients with a fork. Sprinkle over bread mixture. Bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the bread has completely cooled, pipe swirls of Nutella over the bread

Friday, April 30, 2010

Day 40 with Nutella

This is recipe is not totally Martha Stewart, but getting close!  But I have to tell you that the end result is fab.  Well worth the trouble.

Nutella Crumb Muffins


For the muffins:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup Nutella

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. of pure vanilla extract
For the crumb:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 stick cold butter cut into pieces
For the muffins:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

In another bowl, combine oil, eggs, milk, vanilla and Nutella.

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently.

Pour the batter among muffin cups.

Place the crumble on top of the muffins.

Bake approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

For the crumb:

In a bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar and nutmeg.

Add butter and cut with a pastry cutter until a crumbly texture.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Day 38 with Nutella

Nutella/Banana Haystacks

Another recipe from my friend Kristi, who is becoming a regular contributor to the 365 Days with Nutella!


Cut a banana into 1 inch chunks. Melt some Nutella in the microwave, then rolled the banana chunks in the Nutella and then in shredded coconut. Stick a skewer in each piece (food is always more fun on a skewer) and put them in the fridge to harden up the Nutella a bit. The tasting panel verdict? Delicious! They were gone in 60 seconds.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Day 38 with Nutella

Nutella Whoopee Pies!

This idea came to me when I was surfing around the internet looking for new ways to use Nutella. I discovered a Whoopee Pie recipe and changed it into a Nutella Whoopee Pie....I just love saying Whoopee! Can't be mad when you say, whoopee!
Ingredients:

1 box Duncan Hines Yellow Cake mix (butter recipe)
1 stick butter
3 large eggs
1 box instant chocolate pudding
3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix the ingredients above with a hand mixer until well blended. The batter should be thick, almost doughy. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and drop 3 inch diameter of batter onto the parchment paper. Bake until a toothpick inserted to the cake rounds comes out clean. About 15-20mins. Let cool.

Filling:
1 part Vanilla frosting to 1 part Nutella. I used a cup of each Mix together until blended.

Assembly
Use the filling in the middle of two cake rounds. Make a sandwich and say Whoopee!

This is super easy and it's really good. The tasting panel gave it two thumbs up!




Saturday, April 17, 2010

Day 37 with Nutella

This is not grandma’s pound cake! This is a new fangled Nutella pound cake! It has the consistency of a pound cake but the delightful taste of Nutella! You can use the Nutella pound cake just as you would any other pound cake. I think a slice with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge (or warm Nutella) would be fab! Enjoy!


Ingredients

• (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3/4 cup Heavy Cream at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 ½ cups Nutella

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine the heavy cream and vanilla. Add the flour and heavy cream mixtures to the batter. Mix well. Add Nutella and mix throughout. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes. Take them out of the pans, place them on a baking rack and allow them to cool completely. Wrap well, and store in the refrigerator.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Day 36 with Nutella





How about Nutella on French Toast...do I need to say anything else?  I mean really, this is beyond decadent!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Day 35 with Nutella

Here is another idea from my friend Kristi....She heated Nutella and some evaporated milk in a saucepan to thin out the Nutella some to be the consistency of hot fudge sauce. Then she poured it over vanilla ice cream and strawberries.  Wow, doesn't that look amazing?

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Day 34 with Nutella

I found this recipe on eatmycakenow.blogspot.com and immeadiately knew this one was a winner!  This a great site for all kinds of yummy recipes.  I encourage you to check it out!  Anyway, I just made this recipe for Nutella Fudge Crumble and it was super easy.  It also combines an oatmeal crumble ( I love this with anything!) and Nutella...and of course you know how I feel about my lovely Nutella.

Nutella Fudge Crumble

240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

160 g (2 cups) old-fashioned (rolled) oats

270 g (1 1/2 cups) brown sugar

5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking powder

1 ml (1/4 teaspoon) salt

200 g (1 cup) butter, melted

600 g (21 ounces) Nutella



Preheat oven to 350°F(180°C).

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

Whisk together the flour, old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.

Pour the melted butter and stir to incorporate the butter.

Set aside 1½ to 2 cups of the mixture, then turn the remaining dough into the buttered pan.

Gently press the dough over the bottom of the pan.

Pour the Nutella over the oatmeal crust, then scatter the remaining oatmeal mixture over the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.

Transfer the baking pan to a rack and cool for about 1 hour.


http://eatmycakenow.blogspot.com/2010/02/croustade-decadente-au-nutella-nutella.html

Friday, April 9, 2010

Day 33 with Nutella

I set out to make Nutella truffles, but that didn't work out too well....oh well can't win them all.  I am going to look for another recipe and get back to you on that one.  In the meantime I made Nutella Cups....kind of like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. But with Nutella they are so much better!  Super easy, too. 

First you need to find some of these little baking cups..they look like mini cupcake holders.  I found some at the grocery store in the baking aisle....had to work my way thru all the die hard "Martha Stewart" bakers, but I found them!

Melt milk chocolate chips.  I use a pot with simmering water and place a glass bowl on top stirring the chocolate chips frequently unitl they are smooth and creamy. 

Place a dab of the melted chocolate in the bottom of the baking cup.  Then add a dab of Nutella, equal to about a Tsp.  Then cover with more melted chocolate.

Let them cool and you have a special treat! 

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Day 32 with Nutella


Something simple, yet delicious!  My lovely Nutella on a flaky biscuit.  Just go to my favorite section of the store for "easy peasy" baking and buy some of that delightful Pilsbury Dough Boy's flaky butter biscuits..bake them according to the directions and then smear a liberal amount of Nutella in the middle.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Day 31 with Nutella


Nutella, Peanut Butter Tubs!  These were named by some 5th graders!  I created something so easy and so yummy, you are going to love it!  I took store bought Phyllo Dough cups ( found in the freezer section) and I piped peanut butter in the bottom and then Nutella on the top.  Placed these in a preheated oven ( 350 degrees) for about 10 mins.  Wait until they cool down before you indulge!  They were a big hit with the 4th and 5th graders.   I am having to enlist volunteers to eat my creations!  I still have 1/2 a Nutella cheesecake in my fridge!  And it is still yummy!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Day 30 with Nutella

I love cheesecake! And you can make it even yummier by adding Nutella! This turned out really well. The tasters were very impressed with the presentation and the flavor. It is really not too hard to make, but make sure you have a lot of people to eat the thing because it is huge! Think Cheesecake factory size cake!


Nutella Cheesecake

5 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup Nutella



Crust

3 cups finely ground graham

10 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar



Topping

2 cups sour cream

¼ cup white sugar

Crust preparation

Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan.
Filling preparation

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour, and zests with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, 1 at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions. Split the filling in half. In one half add 1 cup Nutella and beat with a mixer until completely blended.
Topping preparation

Mix the sourcream and sugar together until fully blended…set aside.

Put springform pan with crust on a cookie sheet. Pour cheesecake and Nutella filling alternating to create layers into crust (springform pan will be completely full) and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 12 minutes, or until puffed. Reduce temperature to 200°F and continue baking until cake is mostly firm (center will still be slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour more.

Take the cake out and spread the sourcream topping on cake and then put it back in the oven for about 5-7 mins.

Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on a rack. Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Day 29 with Nutella

Nutella Puddin' Pie!  I started out to make a Zebra Nutella Cheesecake, but didn't have a couple of ingredients....ahh, there's always tomorrow.  I decided to try a simple Nutella puddin pie.  The inspiration came from my friend Kristi, again!  She is awesome with Nutella ideas.  Super simple,  take a store bought graham cracker crust.  Heat 13oz ( or one small jar) of Nutella up in microwave...use a glass dish and heat it about 1 min.  spread about 1/2 of the Nutella on the bottom of the crust and then whip up some instant chocolate pudding using less milk than they call for.  The package I got called for 3 cups of milk and I used 2 cups.  Anyway, pour the pudding on top of the Nutella and then use the remainder of the Nutella on the top.  Put the pie in the fridge for about an hour and presto!  You have a Nutella Puddin' Pie! Enjoy.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Day 28 with Nutella

Here is a good idea that came to me from my friend Kristi.  She is very creative in her use of  Nutella as a fondue.  She says that all you need to do is heat Nutella over low heat in a saucepan. Add small amounts of condensed milk until you are happy with the consistency (thin, but not too thin). Stir constantly to avoid scorching. Serve immediately to the hungry troops along with items to dip in the delicious concoction (pretzel sticks, pineapple chunks, banana and apple slices, etc.).  Great idea!

You can also check out the link below for another Nutella Fondue recipe pictured here. 

http://www.partybluprintsblog.com/?s=nutella+fondue

Monday, March 29, 2010

Day 27 with Nutella



Today I tried Nutella on a dried apricot.  A tiny dried apricot with a dab of Nutella made for the perfect petit little snack.  I am thinking that Nutella would be good on other dried fruit, but more about that later! 

Friday, March 26, 2010

Day 26 with Nutella

Nutella Frosting – Cupcakes



I just love cupcakes…I love the name, cupcakes. It makes me happy when I think of cupcakes. I was wondering if I could make a yummy frosting out of Nutella for cupcakes. It was easy!
I made the cupcakes from a store bought cake mix. I used yellow cake mix, but I think you could use chocolate or white cake mix…whatever your heart desires. For the frosting I mixed half white frosting to half Nutella ( make as much as you need just do half frosting to half Nutella). These turned out really well. Kids of all ages love these!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Day 26 with Nutella

I always wanted to use Nutella in Brownies. It just seems like a good combo. I also love chocolate cheesecake. Two of my favorite things mixed together, chocolate and cheesecake! After my experience with the Nutella Blondies, I decided I had better get back to my “easy peasy” roots. I am not a Martha Stewart kind of gal, so doing things from scratch is not my forte. So, the inspiration is Chocolate Cheesecake and the result was Nutella Cheesecake Brownies, using a store bought box of brownie mix. I hope you enjoy!

Nutella Cheesecake Brownies


Ingredients You Will Need:

1 package store-bought brownie mix

1 package cream cheese

⅓ cup white sugar

1 egg

Tsp Vanilla

1 cup Nutella

Prepare the store-bought brownies first according to the package directions. Then, take a baking pan (13 x 9) and grease it with butter, and pour in the brownie layer. In a separate bowl, combine your cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract, and blend with a mixer. With a spoon, spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie mixture in the pan.

Microwave the Nutella in a glass bowl for about 20 secs. It should be pourable. Pour the Nutella on top of the cream cheese mixture in rows or glob drops. Next use a chopstick to swirl the Nutella into the cream cheese and brownie batter. Don’t overdo it. You want it to be marbled.

Then bake your yummy cheesecake brownies for 35 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Day 25 with Nutella

Do blondes have more fun?  Nutella had to find out!  I took a Blondie Brownie recipe and modified it to make Nutella Blondies.    I must say that these Nutella Blondies  made for a party in my mouth!  Woo Hoo!  Talk about fantastic....if you like super gooey, rich and delicious, then this is the recipe for you...check it out!

Nutella Blondies


Ingredients You Will Need:


1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 ¾ cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 Cup Nutella


Heat oven to 350 degrees. Using two tablespoons of butter, grease brownie pan (pan should be 13” by 9”), reserving the other six tablespoons of butter for brownie batter.


Mix brown sugar, vanilla, butter and eggs until creamy. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Using a mixer blend all of the ingredients into a batter. Pour batter into brownie pan, scraping sides of bowl with a rubber spatula to get all of the batter.


Microwave the Nutella in a glass bowl for about 20 secs. It should be pourable. Pour the Nutella on top of the batter and spread around. Next use a chopstick to swirl the Nutella into the batter. Don’t overdo it. You want it to be marbled.


Bake for 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the blondies for the last few minutes of baking.  You want them to be golden brown and slightly firm, the batter should not giggle when you shake the pan.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Day 24 with Nutella

I have a dear friend who loves to bake! I mean she really loves to bake! She bakes almost every night and she comes up with the most beautiful creations. So last week I gave her a jar of Nutella and asked her to come up with some ideas…I mean I do have a long way to go (341 days to be exact), so I probably will need some help. Here is her creation:


Nutella Carmel Cake

CAKE

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter at room temperature

11⁄3 cups sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons hot water

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk



GLAZE
1 cup of Nutella

FILLING
Carmel Topping ( like Smucker's ice cream topping)



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 9” cake pans. Line bottom with parchment paper, set aside.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add hot water to the coffee powder (in a little cup or bowl), mix and add to butter mixture. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Slowly add in dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk. Divide batter between the two pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center. Watch carefully; over baking will make the cake dry.

Let the cake cool. Put one layer on a plate and spoon caramel topping. Then add the second layer. Put Nutella on the top layer. You will need to heat the Nutella up just a bit so it’s easy to spread (20 seconds in the microwave) you can then do a spider design like in the picture. It is super duper easy. Just pipe a spiral of caramel topping from the center to the edges and drag a toothpick out from the center at six points. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts around the edges and you have a yummy cake that’s gorgeous!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Day 23 with Nutella

Nutella Scones: I don’t know about you, but I love scones! All kinds of scones. My favorite was a cinnamon sugar scone until now. I just made Nutella scones and they are incredible! And of course, very easy.


What you need:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup sugar

½ cup of salted butter or 1 stick (room temp)

¾ cup heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the first 4 ingredients together using a whisk to make sure that everything is blended well. Take your room temp butter and put it in the dry ingredients and start blending with your hands. You want the butter and the dry ingredients to become as one….it will resemble pebble like sand. Add the cream and work it into dough with a fork. Once it starts holding together, get your hands in there and ball it up. Take your dough, portion off a small section (size – between a golf ball and a racquet ball). Roll into a ball and then flatten. Take a tablespoon of Nutella and spread it on the top of the scone. Use a spoon to make a swirly design. Bake for about 15-20 mins until golden brown. Makes approximately 12 scones.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Day 22 with Nutella

How about Nutella cupcakes? Sure thing! You could do it the hard way and make them from scratch, but why when Duncan Hines makes Super Moist Yellow Cake mix! I like this particular kind because they call for a stick of butter instead of oil….can you go wrong with a stick of butter? I don’t think sooo! Anyway, make the batter according to the package directions. Use a cupcake tin and cupcake liners. Fill the liners half way and then add a liberal tsp of Nutella. Then add more batter on top…fill the liner to about 2/3 full. Take a chop stick of toothpick and swirl the batter and Nutella around a few time to get a marbling affect. Bake according to package directions and voila! Nutella Cupcakes! This a winner. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Day 21 with Nutella


Tea anyone? Nutella on top of shortbread cookies is not only delicious, but it looks cool, too. A quick way to dress up your shortbread cookies…just cut the corner off of a sturdy Ziploc freezer bag and place a piping tip through the corner….put about 2 tablespoons of Nutella in the bag, near the tip and then pipe the Nutella on top of the cookies. Looks good and tastes good!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Day 20 with Nutella


Nutella with a New York style soft pretzel....oh yeah!  This pretzel had a bit of salt on it, so it was like my potato chip, Barry White experience...read earlier blog posts to find out what I am talking about.  Anyway, highly recommend this combo.  I am 20 days into this experience and I am starting to think that Nutella makes everything taste better!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Day19 with Nutella


Happy Strawberries!
Today, I tried Nutella with strawberries. It was awesome. I think most people like chocolate covered strawberries and this is even better. I took a liberal teaspoon of Nutella and placed it on top of the strawberries. My friend Diane said that she heats the Nutella slightly and then dips the strawberry in the Nutella for a pretty presentation of chocolate covered strawberries…I like that idea. Bottom line; the combo is super delish! Enjoy

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Day 18 with Nutella




Sometimes the simplest things are the best. I had toast this morning with cream cheese and Nutella. Sounds a bit strange, but the combo was actually quite good! It was a lovely breakfast…simple, yet profoundly delish!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Day 17 with Nutella


Nutella Nirvana.... the name of the dessert served at a function I attended this evening.  I ate one and thought it was pretty good.  I think you could recreate it pretty easily.  Take a pound cake or other yellow cake and cut it in half lengthwise. Frost the top and middle with a milk chocolate frosting and then use a cake piping tool to decorate using Nutella.  You can zig zag like they do in the picture or you can create your own design.


Sunday, March 14, 2010

Day 16 with Nutella

One of my favorite treats is a Pain Au Chocolate.  It's like a croissant filled with a semi sweet chocolate.  It is wonderful.  Here is an easy Nutella recipe that gets you close to a Pain Au Chocolate without having to go to Paris or a good bakery.

Nutella Croissants

Roll out a tube of Pillsbury of crescent dough. Separate each of the triangles and lay them flat. Put a tsp of Nutella near the wide side and roll it up as you normally would. Pinch the ends closed. Use a  pastry brush, to brush lightly with a melted butter.

Place the crescent rolls on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the croissants are golden brown. Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly. The Nutella will be extremely hot inside the roll, so unless you want a molten lava experience in your mouth, wait a few minutes. 

If you want to try to make a Pan Au Chocolate, here is a good site to check out..just use Nutella!
http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2010/02/06/pain-au-chocolat/

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Day 15 with Nutella


I like easy recipes...I mean super simple. I am reluctant to knead dough, let it rise...make reduction sauces, render anything, or macerate....if you love to cook you'll know what I am talking about. Everyone else, it means "high maintenance." Anyway, I modified a recipe and made it into a Nutella Tart recipe and it is delish! Best part, it is super easy! Give it a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!



Nutella Tart

Crust:

• 3 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

• 1 ½ sticks butter, melted

Filling:

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

• 1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1 1/2 cup Nutella

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Make the crust. Put the graham cracker crumbs in a bowl. Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and stir with the spatula until all the crumbs are evenly moistened. Smash any lumps that form.

Scrape the mixture into the 9” or 10” round tart pan. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides. Set the tart pan on a cookie sheet in case the butter melts out.



Bake the crust. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until it is lightly browned. It will harden as it cools.

Make the filling. Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Fill your sink with about 2-3 inches of hot water and set your bowl with the choc chips in the water. The hot water will heat the bowl and begin to melt the chips.

Pour the cream into the small saucepan, place over medium heat, and heat just until it begins to simmer. Turn off the heat. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate. Start to gently whisk it until it’s blended and smooth. Whisk in the Nutella until smooth.

Pour the filling into the tart shell, scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until firm.

Unmold the tart. Carefully push the bottom of the tart pan up through the sides. Leave the tart on the bottom of the pan.

YUMMM.....................

Friday, March 12, 2010

Day 14 with Nutella

Nutella pizza roll. Oh yes! Super easy and delish. The “easy” is my favorite part. Here is what you need: 1 container Pillsbury pizza dough, preferably square shape (found in the refrigerator section), Jar of Nutella, and some butter.


Roll out your dough on to a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 for about 8-10mins. You want it slightly cooked but still pliable. Once it gets to that point, take it out of the oven and spread Nutella across the entire dough surface, liberally, of course! Then roll up the dough like you are rolling up a sleeping bag. Coat the outside of the roll with some more butter and stick it back in the oven for about 15 mins. It should be slightly brown and crispy on the outside. Once it has completely cooled you can slice it and it makes these neat spirals. Very yummy.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Day 13 with Nutella



Nutella Ooo La La Latte! Adding a tablespoon of Nutella to your morning coffee makes it taste fantastic. You will want exchange your Starbucks Mocha habit for this tasty treat. All it takes is a tablespoon of Nutella swirled in your regular cup of coffee….mmmm!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Day 12 with Nutella

Banana Bread Nutella Panini! Oh my gosh is this good….if you don’t have a Panini maker, get one! You can use the Panini maker for more than just Panini. I use mine to sear/cook meat and it works great…super juicy and tender. Better than the grill ( shhh don’t tell the hubby) and way better than the oven. Okay, sorry, I got sidetracked! Back to the task at hand…there are a couple of ways to do this…you can wait for your bananas to spoil and make your own banana bread, which I have been known to do, or you can buy a loaf at the bakery and claim it as your own.

However you happen to get your loaf, cut a couple of slices about 1 inch thick. Spread Nutella on the bread and make a sandwich. Put butter on the outside of the sandwich and then place it on your Panini maker which should be preheated to about 375 degrees. Lower the lid and listen for the sizzle! Tip: if you have the time after you have assembled the sandwich place it in the refrigerator for 30 mins before the placing on the hot Panini maker…the Nutella will harden up and be able to withstand the heat….especially if you like to spread it on liberally!

Day 11 with Nutella


This one is coming from  Kristi in Dallas…she says her family loves making S’mores with Nutella. Take a graham cracker a break it in two. Spread Nutella on one side, liberally of course. Take the other side and put marshmallows on it and broil it in the oven (or toaster oven, if you are only doing one or two). Once the Marshmallows get golden brown you put the two sides together like a sandwich and you have a super quick & easy S’more, without the campfire.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Day 10 with Nutella

Woo Hoo! Day 10. I am in double digits! I was inspired by a treat I had in San Francisco about two years ago. It was called a Bombolini. Basically it was a whole sugar donut filled with Nutella. It was mind blowing! I was really impressed with how good it was. I was never able to find it again….not being able to find it gave me the desire to see if I could recreate this amazing indulgence. I took a basic glazed dount cut it half, like you would a bagel and then spread Nutella on, liberally of course. It was pretty amazing. I took a bite before I realized you might want to see what it looks like. Please excuse the teeth marks!

If want to make the real thing check this recipe out on foodbuzz.com. It’s a little “high maintenance” for me, but you Martha Stewart types out there might be willing to give it a try!



http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/1644574-bombolini-alla-nutella-nutella-filled-doughnuts-

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Day 9 with Nutella

This one is a bit off the wall...Nutella is used on crepes quite a bit in Europe. I thought about giving it a Texas Twirl! I melted one pat of butter in a large pan and sautéed a tortilla until it was golden brown on each side but still pliable. I then spread Nutella on it, say it with me… Liberally of course! I folded it up into a sort of triangle...kind of like the way they fold the crepes in Europe, but not as fancy! The taste was really delish! You get the sweet goodness of the Nutella and a bit of Salty from the butter......very nice.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Day 8 with Nutella

Day 8 and it's going great!  I found a few more sites that have awesome recipes, so hopefully, I won't run out of ways to use Nutella. 

Do you remember the old commercial where a person is walking along and they are holding a chocolate bar and then another person is holding a jar of pbut butter...and they bump into each other?  I loved that ad when I was a kid and I love Choc & Pnut butter together.  So that is my inspiration for today!  I made some pnut butter cookies and spread Nutella ( liberally, of course...is there any other way?) on one and used another cookie to make a sandwich.  I need a name for this creation...I welcome your suggestions.....anyone out there?  Here is a tempting picture for you to drool over...they are worth every calorie! Yum


BTW - Nutella has a sweepstakes to give away a case of Nutella...all you have to do is go on the site and fill out a bit of info.  Easy Peasy.  http://www.nutellausa.com/giveaway2.htm  Check it out.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Day 7 with Nutella

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How can you make a Monday fantastic?   Get yourself a bag of Lay's Potato Chips, a jar of Nutella and a spoon......can you hear the Barry White music playing?  Oh, Yeaya.....  you get the picture.  


To make the magic happen, you just need to spread a bit of Nutella on a plain Lay's potato chip, open mouth and insert the salty, sweet goodness.  Enjoy!

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Day 6 with Nutella

As promised!  The Nutella facial....I had this idea a couple of weeks ago and thought it might be fun to try it.  So, I found two willing participants who donated their lovely faces for my experiment. We spread Nutella lightly on the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead.  Just for fun we put bananas on the eyes (natural potassium treatment).  The girls loved it because it was moisturizing and delicious!  We let the Nutella sit on the face for about 5 mins and then removed it with a warm damp cloth.   Voila!  Their faces were smooth and silky.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Day 5 with Nutella

Busy day!  Much running around....so very little time to think about my dreamy Nutella!  Oh how I love your creamy goodness.  I have to tell you that spending this much time with Nutella is making me love the stuff even more.  Today I made some sugar cookies with, you guessed it, Pillsbury refridgerator cookie dough.....yes I know it would be better to make the sugar cookies from scratch, but who has time!  Okay so anyway, make the cookies according to the directions and then after they cool spread Nutella on one of the cookies ( liberally of course) and then make a sandwich out of it with the other cookie.  I must say that this tasted DEVINE!  UBER delicious.  Take a look at the finished product on the left....happy kids!

Stay tuned for tomorrow is a Nutella facial!

Friday, February 26, 2010

Day 4 with Nutella

Nutella Pizza!  Whoever thought that you can make a delicious pizza with Nutella....genius!  I looked up a few recipes for Nutella pizza and they seemed a bit complex.....if I have to make dough rise, forget it.  That's what the Pilsbury Dough Boy does!  So once again I had to come up with my abbreviated version of the Nutella pizza.  First step, go to your local store and buy Pilsbury pizza crust. Perfecto!

Nutella Pizza recipe ( super easy )

Pilsbury Pizza Crust - lay out on a pizza pan
Bake the crust according to the directions until it is golden brown
Let cool
Spread a liberal amount of Nutella on the crust
You can sprinkle toasted hazelnuts on the pizza, but my crew prefers "no nuts."
Cut it into sections and munch!

It's truly delicious....enjoy the decadence of this easy dessert.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Day 3 with Nutella

So far so good....three days into the journey and I haven't gained any weight, yet!  LOL 

As promised, I made a successful "easy" Nutella Cooler" and it tastes awesome.  I am drinking one right now.....YUM!  Giada's recipe was to "Marth Stewart" so I took a short cut and made it the following way:

10 ice cubes
2 cups Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream - if you don't know what Blue Bell is then I feel sorry for you....try the best vanilla you can find.
4 heaping tablespoons Nutella
1.5 cups milk

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  It makes 2 servings.

I have to say that if you are having a bad day, this treat will perk you right up.  Hope you enjoy!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Day 2 with Nutella

If you are like me, morning should begin with sunrise.  However, I usually get up at 6 and it's still dark. UGH.... 
Enough about the dark mornings.......
 
Today is a Nutella waffle sandwich!   How easy is that.  Two Eggos in the microwave and spread a heaping tablespoon of nutella on the waffle...make a sandwich and off you go.  It's portable and yummy...especially with a cup of coffee.

I decided that I had better start finding some recipes on Nutella, so I went out to foodnetwork.com.  Do you realize that there are 37 recipes for Nutella out there!  Wow.  More interesting is the fact that over half of them are from Giada DeLaurentiis.  She has her own show called "Everyday Italian." 

Anyway, she is obviously a huge Nutella lover!  One of her recipes is a Nutella Gellato Cooler...I read the recipe and it was very "Martha Stewart."  By that I mean it was too complex and had too many ingredients that you have to go buy and only use half of them and throw the rest out....get the picture.  I am all about making it easy....so tomorrow, I will attempt the "express Nutella cooler."  Whether it's good or bad, I'll let you know!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Day One with Nutella


Okay so I love Nutella! Who doesn't...the person who has never had the opportunity to taste the delectable treat! What is it you ask? It's an amazing Chocolate Hazelnut Spread from Italy. Most people eat it on bread, but I have heard some other interesting applications!

I decided that I would embark on a 365 day journey with Nutella to see if I can come up with 365 different uses for Nutella....I think the first 60-100 days will be easy, but when you run out of food stuffs to put it on, then what? Okay let's keep this "G" rated!

I picked up my daughter from school and she just had a Nutella on a pancake as a snack. I tried it and it definatley gives butter and syrup some stiff competition!

I welcome suggestions, so please feel free to submit a recipe or idea! 364 more to go!