Fudgy Nutella Brownies

Fudgy Nutella Brownies! I mean what more do I have to say? What ya got here is a rich, delightfully chewy chocolate brownie made even more decadent by the addition of smooth, creamy Nutella, not only to the batter but also generously drizzled in luscious swirls over the top! And then, just a sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the top puts you in a state of salty sweet bliss!!!

So I gotta ask….are there any Nutella fans out there? Cause let me tell you I love me some Nutella! I actually didn’t even know it existed until I was living in Ireland and my friend Theresa had a jar. I watched with amazement as she spread it over her toast. I was like “What! You can eat chocolate on toast!” I had no idea it was a thing. Yup, love at first bite.

It is not by chance that I’m blogging a recipe which features Nutella today. Today February 5th is World Nutella Day. This celebration of all things Nutella was started in 2007 by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso as a day to celebrate, get creative with and most importantly, to EAT Nutella.

A couple of years ago, the founders have transferred Nutella Day to Ferrero the company who owns that most beloved spread. Take a peek at their Facebook page and see how folks are celebrating the day! I love Nutella so I usually try to participate with a Nutella laden recipe every year. One of my favorite Nutella creations was this Nutella, Double Chocolate & Banana Tart which was quite stunning if I do say so myself.

just looks at these delicious Homemade Banana Toaster Tarts drizzled with Nutella

And how do you like this big ole Malted Nutella & Biscoff Brownie Torte 

Then there was this gorgeous Nutella Star Bread:

And some amazing Nutella Chocolate Chip Babka:

And I don’t want to forget these irresistible Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich Cookies – sweet salty bliss I tell you!

But let me get back to today’s amazing Nutella laden treat that delivers quite a chewy chocolate punch – these fantastic Fudgy Nutella Brownies.

I gotta tell ya’ll these are really easy to make, with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. They come together quickly, so you can whip them up in a flash to your friends and family’s amazement! Are you looking for a snack to bring to that Super Bowl party? Look no further. This is it! But you don’t need a planned event to bake up a batch, just delight in this little indulgence all by yourself. I won’t tell anyone….

• Servings: 8x8 inch pan - 9 to 12 brownies, depending how you slice 'em
• Difficulty: easy-peasy
• Print

recipe from: Yossy Arefi via New York Times Cooking

Ingredients:

• ½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), plus more for greasing the baking dish
• 4 ounces/113 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup/296 grams chocolate-hazelnut spread, like Nutella
• ⅔ cup/134 grams granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• ¾ cup/96 grams all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• flaky sea salt for sprinkling over top (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

Combine the chopped chocolate and butter in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir the mixture occasionally until melted. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine ¾ cup/222 grams chocolate-hazelnut spread, sugar and eggs. Mix on medium-high for 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl a couple of times. Add espresso powder and vanilla and mix briefly to combine.

Turn the mixer to low and stream in the chocolate-butter mixture. Mix until well combined, then fold in the flour and salt.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spread evenly with a knife or offset spatula and spoon several dollops of the remaining ¼ cup/74 grams chocolate-hazelnut spread evenly over the top. Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the spread and brownie batter a few times, leaving big streaks of the spread on the surface. Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top if you are using.

Bake the brownies for 25 to 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. A toothpick inserted into the center should pull out some moist crumbs.

Enjoy!

Useful links for Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Fudgy Nutella Brownies:

Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

King Arthur Flour Espresso Powder

Banana & Nutella Fancy French Toast

Would you just look at this decadent breakfast dish! Sakes alive that looks yummy huh? What you got here is a smear of cream cheese and a dollop of Nutella along with a handful of bananas sandwiched between two slices of French Toast! Now you might be thinking “that had to be for a fancy occasion”, but nope not really. Well I might have had today in mind when I made this, but the day was any old Sunday and I just happened to have the ingredients on hand.

So I gotta ask….are there any Nutella fans out there? Cause let me tell you I love me some Nutella! I actually didn’t even know it existed until I was living in Ireland and my friend Theresa had a jar. I watched with amazement as she spread it over her toast. I was like “What! You can eat chocolate on toast!” I had no idea it was a thing. Yup, love at first bite. And putting two great tastes like Banana & Nutella together is a no brainer for sure.

It is not by chance that I’m blogging a recipe which features Nutella today. Today February 5th is World Nutella Day. This celebration of all things Nutella was started in 2007 by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso as a day to celebrate, get creative with and most importantly, to EAT Nutella.

A couple of years ago, the founders have transferred Nutella Day to Ferrero the company who owns that most beloved spread. Take a peek at their Facebook page and see how folks are celebrating the day! I love Nutella so I usually try to participate with a Nutella laden recipe every year. One of my favorite Nutella creations was this Nutella, Double Chocolate & Banana Tart which was quite stunning if I do say so myself.

And since we’re talking about that winning Nutella and banana combination, just looks at these delicious Homemade Banana Toaster Tarts drizzled with Nutella

And how do you like this big ole Malted Nutella & Biscoff Brownie Torte 

Then there was this gorgeous Nutella Star Bread:

And some amazing Nutella Chocolate Chip Babka:

And I don’t want to forget these irresistible Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich Cookies – sweet salty bliss I tell you!

But back to todays Banana & Nutella Fancy French Toast. Easy to make, it is remarkable how it transforms an average day into something fancy. So I say treat yourself to a fancy breakfast feast today. Make sure you pour some bubbles as well. Life is short and you’re worth it!

• Servings: 4 French Toast Sandwiches
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 8 slices French bread (1/2 inch thick)
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup Nutella
• 1 medium banana, sliced
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Optional toppings: Confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, fresh mint leaves, additional banana slices additional Nutella, whipped cream

Directions:

Begin by making sandwiches. On each of 4 of the bread slices, spread cream cheese and Nutella to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with banana slices and remaining bread.

In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.

In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat butter over medium-low heat. Dip both sides of sandwiches in egg mixture, allowing each side to soak 30 seconds. Place soaked sandwiches in skillet; toast until golden brown, 4-5 minutes on each side. If desired, serve with toppings.

Enjoy!

Homemade Banana Filled Toaster Tarts with Nutella Frosting

Whoa! Homemade Banana Toaster Tarts with Nutella Frosting? Get out! Yet here they are. Fresh from the oven. And although I look back fondly on those legendary store-bought breakfast pastries of my youth – this has got them beaten hands down! The crust is buttery and flaky perfection. Not anything like I remember from childhood. And I stuffed all of that gorgeous crust full of this amazing Banana Jam. That’s right…Banana. Jam. I had no idea Banana Jam even existed! But it does and I am so delighted with it.

And as if that wasn’t enough, these little darlings are heavily drizzled with a luscious Nutella frosting. O.M.G. So I gotta ask….are there any Nutella fans out there? Cause let me tell you I love me some Nutella! I actually didn’t even know it existed until I was living in Ireland and my friend Theresa had a jar. I watched with amazement as she spread it over her toast. I was like “What! You can eat chocolate on toast!” I had no idea it was a thing. Yup, love at first bite. And putting two great tastes like Banana & Nutella together is a no brainer for sure.

It is not by chance that I’m blogging a recipe which features Nutella today. Today February 5th is World Nutella Day. This celebration of all things Nutella was started in 2007 by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso as a day to celebrate, get creative with and most importantly, to EAT Nutella.

A couple of years ago, the founders have transferred Nutella Day to Ferrero the companywho owns that most beloved spread. Take a peek at their Facebook page and see how folks are celebrating the day! I love Nutella so I usually try to participate with a Nutella laden recipe every year. One of my favorite Nutella creations was this Nutella, Double Chocolate & Banana Tart which was quite stunning if I do say so myself.

Last year I baked this big ole Malted Nutella & Biscoff Brownie Torte 

Then there was this gorgeous Nutella Star Bread:

And some amazing Nutella Chocolate Chip Babka:

And I don’t want to forget these irresistible Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich Cookies – sweet salty bliss I tell you!

But let me get back to my featured recipe today: Banana Filled Toaster Tarts with Nutella Frosting. The Husband and I were pretty much rendered speechless at first bite.OMG! Seriously – you will be in Pop Tart heaven! The pastry is to die for. It just melts in your mouth. The ooey-gooey Banana Jam is completely out of this world and that Nutella Drizzle is just sheer perfection! I especially love that this Nutella frosting is a bit like royal frosting, in that it sets up after a few hours. So you can actually stack these Toaster Tarts for storage – as if you will have any left to store after your first bite!

This recipe is pretty easy to make. It does have a lot of steps, but they are worth it. I have included a link at the end of the recipe for an informative video by King Arthur Flour featuring Chef Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery. I highly recommend that you watch it before making the pastry crust. She demonstrates the frissage technique which will prevent you from overworking the dough and will result in those lovely flaky layers of pastry.

I also love this recipe because it is very customizable. Switch up the filling to cinnamon sugar or use any of your favorite jams if banana isn’t your thing. Let your imagination run wild! Whatever you choose, it will undoubtedly elevate the meager Pop Tart. Now don’t get me wrong, I certainly ate my fair share of Pop Tarts when I was a kid. I loved the cinnamon sugar variety and of course the Chocolate Fudge Frosted ones. The Husband and I even currently have a box of Pop Tarts on the top shelf in one of the kitchen cabinets. Though truth be told, they’ve been there untouched for about 12 years now. We call them the Apocalypse Tarts or Pop Tarts of Doom, because it would take that sort of a situation for us to be at all interested in eating them. I guess it is somewhat comforting to know that they are there. But believe me, I predict my Home-made version will not last through the day!

Come to think about it, those tarts from our childhood were not actually very tasty at all, by our grown self’s standards. The crust was kind of cardboard-y and the frosting a tad on the plastic side. Yet you can’t help but look back on them fondly. So these homemade Toaster Tarts will with their tender buttery crust, decadent banana filling and indulgent Nutella topping will put you completely over the moon. Time to enjoy some absolutely deliciously elevated childhood nostalgia. Happy Nutella Day everyone!

Homemade Banana Toaster Tarts with Nutella Frosting

• Servings: 9
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: King Arthur Flour Nutella Frosting from: Sally’s Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 2 cups (241 grams) All purpose Flour
• 1 tablespoon (11 grams) sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 tablespoons (227 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pats
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) milk

For the Filling:

• 8 ounces of Banana Jam (info on where to buy it in links below or substitute in the jam of your choosing)
• 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
• 1 Tablespoon Cold Water

Alternative Filling:

• 1/2 cup (106g) brown sugar, packed
• 4 teaspoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 egg, beaten – to brush over pastry before filling

For the Frosting:

• 1 cups (120 grams) confectioners’ sugar
• 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (50 grams) Nutella
• 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream or milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch salt

Directions:

For the dough:

Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter until the mixture holds together when you squeeze it, with pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible. Mix the egg and milk, and add it to the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a rough 3″ x 5″ rectangle, smoothing the edges. Wrap in plastic or waxed paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes; this will relax the gluten and firm up the dough a bit, making it easier to roll. You can also refrigerate the dough for up to 2 days; let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature before you roll it out.

For the Filling:

Combine 3/4 cup (8 ounces) Banana jam (or jam of your choice) with 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool. Use to fill the pastry tarts.

For the cinnamon sugar filling:

Whisk together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.

Assembling the pastries:

Place one piece of the dough on a generously floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9″ x 12″. Trim off the edges and set aside to use later. Place the 9″ x 12″ rectangle of dough aside as well on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Press the edge of a ruler into the dough you’ve just rolled, to gently score it in thirds lengthwise and width-wise; you’ll see nine 3″ x 4″ rectangles.

Beat the egg, and brush it over the entire surface of the dough. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each marked rectangle. I used a cookie scoop to do this.

Roll the second piece of dough and trim, just as you did the first. Score it as yo did the first peice. Place it evenly over the first piece of dough and filling. Then, using your fingertips or a chopstick to press firmly around each pocket of filling, sealing the dough well on all sides.

Cut the dough evenly as you scored it, between the filling mounds to make nine tarts. Press the cut edges with your fingers to seal, then press with a fork or chopstick to seal again.

Gently place the tarts on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork; you want to make sure steam can escape, or the tarts will become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries. Refrigerate them, uncovered, for 30 minutes. (if you are making the cinnamon sugar tarts you can sprinkle the tops lightly with the cinnamon sugar filling prior to refrigerating).

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Remove the tarts from the fridge. Brush remaining egg wash over the tops of the tarts. Bake them for 30 to 35 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool on the pan.

While the tarts are cooling, make the Nutella Frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat all of the ingredients together on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Place frosting in piping bag.

Once toaster tarts are completely cool, pipe drizzles of frosting over the top. The Nutella frosting will set at room temperature after 3 -4 hours. If you would like it to set sooner, just pop them into the fridge.

Enjoy!

Fun tip: Don’t throw the dough trimmings away! Instead, sprinkle them with cinnamon-sugar. While the tarts are chilling in the fridge, bake these trimmings for 13 -15 minutes, until they are golden brown. They make a delicious snack!

Here is that great video of Chef Joanne Chang making Toaster Tarts.

Links for helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Homemade Banana Filled Toaster Tarts with Nutella Frosting:

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Cuisinart Pro-Classic Food Processor

Oxo Multipurpose Scraper

Dough Rolling Mat

Pastry Wheel

OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop

Nutella Spread

Eat This Yum – Banana Jam – This jam is so delicious! The family owned & operated company in Pennsylvania makes natural small batch jams and marmalades. Don’t miss out on their Bacon Jam as well. And with each jar sold they contribute 5% to local volunteer fire fighters!

Malted Nutella & Biscoff Brownie Torte

So I gotta ask….are there any Nutella fans out there? Cause let me tell you I love me some Nutella! I actually didn’t even know it existed until I was living in Ireland and my friend Theresa had a jar. I watched with amazement as she spread it over her toast. I was like “What! You can eat chocolate on toast!” I had no idea it was a thing. Yup, love at first bite. And Biscoff? Well I first encountered those little Biscoff cookies when an air host handed me a packet for a snack when I was on a flight. I loved them. At first I thought maybe it was just because I didn’t have very high expectations for any snack given out on a flight, but then they magically appeared in grocery stores and I found that I also enjoyed them when I wasn’t a captive audience, shoehorned into a tiny uncomfortable little seat.

When I found out that there was a cookie butter version that I could spread on toast, I cannot tell you how excited I was! This amazing treat that I’m going to tell you about today features both Nutella and Biscoff – both the cookies and the cookie butter AND it is not only malted but it is also salted!!! GET. OUT!!! So without further ado (insert drum roll here) – I present the magnificent Malted Nutella & Biscoff Brownie Torte! Just look at this big boy!

This treat has got it all going on – Three – that’s right I said THREE – layers of oooey, gooey chocolatey brownies interspersed with malted Nutella & Biscoff-y goodness, all frosted with salted Biscoff frosting, further adorned with malted milk balls

and Biscoff cookie crumbs

and finally lightly sprinkled with Maldon sea salt flakes. Are you drooling yet? You should be!

It is not by chance that I’m blogging a recipe which features Nutella today. Today February 5th is World Nutella Day. This celebration of all things Nutella was started in 2007 by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso as a day to celebrate, get creative with and most importantly, to EAT Nutella.

A couple of years ago, the founders have transferred Nutella Day to Ferrero the companywho owns that most beloved spread. Take a peek at their Facebook page and see how folks are celebrating the day! I love Nutella so I usually try to participate with a Nutella laden recipe every year. One of my favorite Nutella creations was this Nutella, Double Chocolate & Banana Tart which was quite stunning if I do say so myself.

Last year I gave you this gorgeous Nutella Star Bread:

And there was the amazing Nutella Chocolate Chip Babka:

And for quite a few years I was on a cookie streak. I made some Nutella Sea Salt Stuffies:

And there were these irresistible Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich Cookies – sweet salty bliss I tell you!

I was still loving the salty / sweet thing when I blogged about  Salted & Malted Nutella Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies. These cookies feature silky, decadent Nutella, creamy caramel, nostalgic malted goodness and rich chocolate chips, all rolled up together in a crunchy chewy salted cookie.

Yeah quite obviously I have a malted, as well as a sweet salty flavor obsession. So it is easy to see why I chose this year’s Nutella Day offering: Malted Nutella & Biscoff Brownie Torte. This is undeniably one impressive looking cake!

Needless to say, this decadent treat is truly rich. So slice it thinly and serve with whipped cream and maybe a tall glass of milk. There will be enough to feed an army I tell you!

Although there are several steps, this amazing creation comes together quite easily. You can make up the various components over several days and then put them all together rather quickly right before whatever gathering at which you hoping to amaze folks with your baking prowess. So what are you waiting for? Step one – eat some Nutella. Step two –  eat even more Nutella while making this jaw-dropping indulgence! And have a Happy Nutella Day!

• Servings: 0ne 8
• Difficulty: easy - but several steps
• Print

recipe from: Heather Baird of Sprinkle Bakes

Ingredients:

For the Brownie Layers;

• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 6 ounces unsweetened baker’s chocolate, chopped
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

For the Malted Nutella & Biscoff Layers:

• 6 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 1 cup (about 9 oz.) Biscoff spread
• 1 cup (about 9 oz.) Nutella spread
• 1/2 cup malted milk powder
• 1/2 cup butter, melted, divided
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, divided

For the Salted Biscoff Frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (about 9 oz.) Biscoff spread
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk or cream
• 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

For the Nutella Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup (about 9 oz.) Nutella spread
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream

For Assembly:

• 15 chocolate malt balls
• 6 Biscoff cookies, pulverized
• Maldon flake salt for garnish

Directions:

For the Brownie Layers:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter and chocolate; stir until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla, flour, salt and baking soda.
Pour into three greased and floured 9-inch (or 8″) round baking pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans; remove from pans to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap or store in air-tight containers until needed.

For the Malted Nutella & Biscoff Layers:

Line two round 9-inch (or 8″) pans with plastic wrap (the same ones used to make the brownie layers, if possible).

Biscoff Layer: Mix together 3 cups of the powdered sugar, 1 cup Biscoff and 4 tablespoons melted butter in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mixture will be crumbly. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture becomes consistent workable dough. It should not be crumbly or stick to your fingers. The mixture should hold together easily when a small amount is squeezed tight in the palm of your hand. Press the dough evenly into one of the lined pans. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Malted Nutella Layer: Mix together 1 cup Nutella, malted milk and remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar slowly. About 1/4 cup at a time, mixing until each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Mixture will be crumbly. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture becomes consistent workable dough. It should not be crumbly or stick to your fingers. The mixture should hold together easily when a small amount is squeezed tight in the palm of your hand. Press the dough evenly into the remaining lined pan. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

For the Salted Biscoff Frosting: Combine the butter and Biscoff in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly, about 1/4 cup at a time, mixing until each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Add cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is thick and fluffy; add the salt and whip again. Scrape down the bowl and beat for 2 minutes longer, or until the salt is well dispersed throughout the batter.

For the Nutella Frosting: Beat the butter and Nutella in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly – no more than 1/4 cup at a time, mixing until it is incorporated before adding the next 1/4 cup. Add cream 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Transfer the frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a large closed star piping tip.

For the Assembly: Place a brownie layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Turn out the Nutella candy layer on top of the brownie; top with another brownie layer. Turn out the Biscoff layer onto the brownie layer and top with the final brownie layer. Frost the entire cake with the salted Biscoff frosting, using an offset spatula to swirl the icing. Pipe 12 to 14 rosettes of Nutella frosting on the top edge of the cake. Garnish each with a malt ball. Place the cake on a baking sheet and gently toss pulverized cookies onto the bottom edge of the cake, allowing the excess to fall onto the baking sheet. Finally garnish the top of the cake with Maldon flake salt.

Store the cake covered at room temperature

Enjoy!

Links for helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Malted Nutella & Biscoff Brownie Torte:

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

Biscoff Cookie Butter Spread

Biscoff Cookies

Nutella Spread

Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

Premium Dark Chocolate Malt Balls – these look great, but truth be told I used Whoppers on my cake.

Sea Salt Sweet by Heather Baird – The recipe for Malted Nutella & Biscoff Brownie Torte is from the Sprinkle Bakes blog by Heather Baird. If you love that salty/sweet flavor combination like I do, you will love Heather’s “Sea Salt Sweet” cookbook. This book is a treasure trove of recipes for the salty sweet lover!

 

 

 

Nutella Star Bread

 

So I gotta ask….are there any Nutella fans out there? Cause let me tell you I love me some Nutella! I did actually didn’t even know it existed until I was living in Ireland and my friend Theresa had a jar. I watched with amazement as she spread it over her toast. I was like “What! You can eat chocolate on toast!” I had no idea it was a thing. Yup, love at first bite. And I love bread as well. So making this Nutella Star Bread was a no brainer for me!

It is not by chance that I’m blogging a recipe which features Nutella today. Today February 5th is World Nutella Day. This celebration of all things Nutella was started in 2007 by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso as a day to celebrate, get creative with and most importantly, to EAT Nutella.

A couple of years ago, the founders have transferred Nutella Day to Ferrero the company who owns that most beloved spread. Take a peek at their Facebook page and see how folks are celebrating the day! I love Nutella so I usually try to participate with a Nutella laden recipe every year. One of my favorite Nutella creations was this Nutella, Double Chocolate & Banana Tart which was quite stunning if I do say so myself.

And there was the amazing Nutella Chocolate Chip Babka:

And for quite a few years I was on a cookie streak. I made some Nutella Sea Salt Stuffies:

And there were these irresistible Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich Cookies – sweet salty bliss I tell you!

I was still loving the salty / sweet thing when I blogged about  Salted & Malted Nutella Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies. These cookies feature silky, decadent Nutella, creamy caramel, nostalgic malted goodness and rich chocolate chips, all rolled up together in a crunchy chewy salted cookie.

But let me get back to talking about the recipe I’m sharing today: Nutella Star Bread. I found this recipe on the King Arthur Flour blog. The folks at King Arthur made it with a Cinnamon Sugar filling, which is delicious as well. That Christmas-y version is a staple around here come December.  So being very familiar with the recipe, I thought it would be quite easy to swap out the cinnamon sugar for Nutella, what with it being World Nutella Day and all. Worked like a charm!

Visually stunning, everyone is always super impressed and thinks it must be soooo difficult to make. Truth be told it is pretty easy. It just involves making up an easy yeast dough, dividing it into 4 parts and rolling them out to 10″ circles and then a little layers, cutting and twisting of the dough.

And I must say this treat isn’t all looks, this decadent, Nutella stuffed bread practically melts in your mouth!

So what are you waiting for?! Grab you a jar of Nutella and dive right in! Great as a dessert, for breakfast or with a cup of tea or coffee, you just can’t beat this time-tested comfort food treat. So get your Star Bread baking and have a Happy Nutella Day!

• Servings: one star loaf - about 8 servings
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

• 241 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 46 grams (1/4 cup) potato flour or instant mashed potato flakes
• 35 grams ( 1/4 cup) nonfat dry milk
• 198 grams to 227 grams (3/4 cup + 2- 4 Tablespoons) lukewarm water, enough to make a soft, smooth dough
• 57 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 25 grams (2 Tablespoons) sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

Nutella Hazelnut Spread ( I used about 1/2 of 13 oz. jar)

Directions:

First, measure the flour by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Or better yet, measure the weight of the ingredients using a handy-dandy kitchen scale. It is much more accurate than the using cups measurement systmen. Next, sift the flour, potato flour, and dry milk through a strainer; this is an important step to prevent lumps in the dough. (If you’re using instant mashed potatoes rather than potato flour you can skip this sifting step.)

To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 60 minutes, until it’s nearly doubled in bulk.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces – again a kitchen scale really comes in handy here. Shape each piece into a ball, cover the balls, and allow them to rest for 15 minutes.

On a lightly greased or floured work surface, roll one piece of dough into a 10″ circle. Place the circle on a piece of parchment and carefully spread the Nutella over it, leaving approximately 1/4″ – 1/2″ bare dough around the perimeter.

Roll out a second circle the same size as the first, and place it on top of the filling-covered circle. Repeat the layering process — Nutella spread, dough circle — leaving the top circle bare.

Place a 2 1/2″ to 3″ round cutter in the center of the dough circle as a guide. With a bench knife or sharp knife, cut the circle into 16 equal strips, from the cutter to the edge, through all the layers.

Using two hands, pick up two adjacent strips and twist them away from each other twice so that the top side is facing up again. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough so that you end up with eight pairs of strips.

Pinch the pairs of strips together to create a star-like shape with eight points. Remove the cutter.

Transfer the star on the parchment to a baking sheet. Cover the star and let it rise until it becomes noticeably puffy, about 45 minutes.

While the star is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Brush the star with a thin coat of the beaten egg. Bake it for 12 to 15 minutes, until it’s nicely golden with dark brown cinnamon streaks; the center should register 200°F on a digital thermometer.

Remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.

Store any leftover bread, well wrapped in plastic, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

Enjoy!

Nutella Star Bread brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Useful links for Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Nutella Star Bread:

Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Kitchen Aid Artisan Series 5 Qt. Stand Mixer

SAF Instant Yeast

Thermapen Instant Read Thermometer by Thermoworks

6 Quart Dough Rising Bucket

Whole Milk Powder or here from King Arthur

 

 

 

Nutella Sea Salt Stuffies

 

Hey all you Nutella fans out there! Take a look at what I got here…Nutella Sea Salt Stuffies! Yup…a rich chocolatey Nutella cookie which surrounds a silky truffle-like Nutella center and if that hasn’t got you drooling, just listen up. It is topped with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. You know I’m a sucker for that sweet/salty taste sensation! And these cookies have it all going on. The outside cookie is soft and yet also chewy at the same time. And once you bite into it, assuming it is warm out of the oven, you get this molten, lava-like burst of melted Nutella. Pure Nutella nirvana I tell you!

Now it is not by chance that I’m blogging a recipe which features Nutella today. Today February 5th is World Nutella Day. This celebration of all things Nutella was started in 2007 by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso as a day to celebrate, get creative with and most importantly, to EAT Nutella.

This year, the founders have transferred Nutella Day to Ferrero the company who owns that most beloved spread. Take a peek at their Facebook page and see how folks are celebrating the day! I love Nutella so I usually try to participate with a Nutella laden recipe every year. Last year I made cookies as well,  irresistible Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich Cookies

I was still all about the cookies and the salty / sweet thing two years ago when I blogged about  Salted & Malted Nutella Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies. These cookies feature silky, decadent Nutella, creamy caramel, nostalgic malted goodness and rich chocolate chips, all rolled up together in a crunchy chewy salted cookie

And then there was my  Nutella, Double Chocolate & Banana Tart which was quite stunning if I do say so myself.

But back to today’s star, both decadent and addictive, Nutella Sea Salt Stuffies.

These tempting little treats are pretty easy to make, especially if you plan ahead. You see, you need to freeze what will become the molten Nutella centers, for at least 3 hours before assembling the final cookie. Sure it can all be done on the same day, but I did it the day before baking day. Once I was ready to bake, these cookies came together in no time flat. They are truly magical warm from the oven what with that lava like flow of Nutella when you bite into them. But don’t fret if they’ve cooled down. The center will be more solid, like Nutella is straight out of the jar, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. However, if you love the Nutella lava effect, just reheat them for a short time in the microwave and you’ll have Mt. Nutella cookies, erupting again!

I know these cookies look rather short on the list of ingredients front, but don’t be fooled, they pack quite a flavorful punch. The Husband, who doesn’t usually care for chocolatey desserts, has actually come back for seconds. He says they are like a Nutella filled brownie…with salt. YUM! Make up a batch today in celebration of all things Nutella. Or… you know… Valentine’s Day isn’t that far off. Bet any Nutella loving folks out there would be head over heels when gifted with these cookies on the big day. You know what they say…no better way to man’s heart and all…

• Servings: 12 -15 cookies
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 5 1/4 ounces / 149 grams Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread

For the dough:

• 10 1/2 ounces / 298 grams Nutella Chocolate hazelnut spread
• 4 ounces / 112 grams King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour or 4 1/4 ounces /120 grams of King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional

For the Topping:

• Fleur del Sel coarse sea salt

Directions:

To make the filling: Scoop small balls of Nutella (chestnut-sized, about 1″ diameter) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. A teaspoon cookie scoop, filled level, is the perfect tool for this job. Scoop out 15 -18 balls of Nutella. You may end up with extras, but better that than coming up short.

Place the baking sheet into the freezer (uncovered is fine), and freeze until the balls are completely frozen, about 3 hours; or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.

To make the dough: Mix together all of the dough ingredients; the mixture will be cohesive, fairly soft, but not sticky; think modeling clay. It will stick together better when you squeeze it.

Scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough; a slightly heaped Tablespoon cookie scoop works well here.

Remove the frozen Nutella balls from the freezer once you have the dough ready to shape. Flatten a ball of dough. Place one of the frozen Nutella balls in the center. Wrap the dough around the Nutella like a dumpling, enclosing it completely. Roll the ball of dough between your palms to seal any cracks and round it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and frozen Nutella balls.

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet; they won’t spread much, so should all fit on one sheet. Sprinkle very lightly with a bit of coarse sea salt.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes; when done, they will have lost much of their shine, and you may see a very faint lightening of color around the bottom third of each cookie.

Remove the cookies from the oven; serve warm, or at room temperature. For the full melting-center, lava-like effect, serve warm; if they’re at room temperature, the centers will be solid. Reheat very briefly in the microwave to liquefy the centers, if desired.

Enjoy!

Nutella Sea Salt Stuffies brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links to Useful Kitchen Tools and Ingredients for Nutella Sea Salt Stuffies:

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

OXO Good Grips Small Cookie Scoop

OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop

King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (this link is for 2 – 5 lb. bags of flour)

Nutella

Maldon Sea Salt Flakes (Fleur de Sel)

I should also mention that King Arthur Flour has a wonderful shop full of kitchen essentials as well as their quality ingredients on their website. Definitely worth taking a peek!

 

 

Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich Cookies

I love Peanut Butter. It’s true. I really love it. I mean I love it in baked goods, I love it on bread and I even love to just stand there with a spoon eating it straight from the jar. I love creamy peanut butter. I love crunchy peanut butter. I think the only one I know who might just love peanut butter more than I do is my dog.

He also loves to roll in the sand at the beach!

Yup I love peanut butter, but it is not the only thing that I have been known to eat straight from the jar….Nutella springs to mind. And I’m talking about big honking tablespoonfuls, not little proper teaspoons! I do love me some Nutella. I can’t believe I didn’t discover it until I was in college!

And you know what else… I love it when peanut butter and chocolate come together. And if you throw in some flaky salt so that you get that great salty/sweet taste sensation….well, I’m just in heaven! So you can just imagine how I feel about these Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich Cookies.

These little devils have got it all going on! Listen up, what you’ve got is two salted chewy peanut butter cookies with a gooey, chocolate-y ribbon of Nutella nestled between them. The perfect cookie for me!

Now, you might be thinking that what with all this talk of “love” in the air and Valentine’s Day being right around the corner, that I made these cookies for my sweetie. You would be wrong. These cookies would be a dreadful Valentine’s gift for him. If I were to make him these particular cookies as a prezzie, it would be a sign that our relationship was in peril. I know that he couldn’t care less about peanut butter, doesn’t pay much attention to cookies at all, and is lukewarm about chocolate desserts all together. Nope. These are decidedly not for him. (Don’t worry over him…I’ve got his Valentine’s Day treat all picked out. Just you wait and see…) These cookies are all about ME. The only thing that might tempt me more is a cupcake. Hmmm…note to self….try to make a cupcake version of these cookies.

Another thing these incredibly tasty Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Cookies are about is World Nutella Day. That’s right, today February 5th is World Nutella Day.

This celebration of all things Nutella was started in 2007 by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso as a day to celebrate, get creative with and most importantly, to EAT Nutella. I love Nutella so I usually try to participate with a Nutella laden recipe every year. Last year I made cookies as well, Salted & Malted Nutella Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies. These cookies feature silky, decadent Nutella, creamy caramel, nostalgic malted goodness and rich chocolate chips, all rolled up together in a crunchy chewy salted cookie. 

A couple of years ago, I made a Nutella, Double Chocolate & Banana Tart which was quite stunning if I do say so myself.

And I have also shared the recipe for Nutella & Banana Filled Peanut Butter Ebelskivers.

Just can’t get enough of that Peanut Butter & Nutella combo! I will admit, this year’s Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich Cookies are a bit on the large side. They are more the size of whoopie pies than regular cookies. But you see, I had gotten these wonderful cookie stamps and was just dying to try them out,

so I definitely increased their size. However, I did not ever hear anyone say “Oh no! That cookie is just too big. I couldn’t possibly eat it all.” Well, now that I think about it, I did hear that once or twice. But when I looked back over, there was nothing left but crumbs…Heck a couple of times, even the crumbs were gone! As if they had been magically hoovered up. So I’ll leave the size of the cookie up to you. Make whatever size cookie suits your needs, but believe me you need to make a batch and soon! Folks, with the exception of my husband that is, will go wild!

• Servings: 8 - 10 large sandwich cookies or 16 smaller ones
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: Sweet Peas and Saffron (I did not change a thing about the ingredients, but made the cookies larger so that I could use my new cookie stamps!)

Ingredients:

For the Cookies:

• ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup peanut butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (110 grams) packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• granulated sugar (for rolling)
• coarse sea salt (for sprinkling)

Nutella for the ooey-gooey ever so chocolatey middle part

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until well combined. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla.

In a separate small bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder and baking soda. Mix into wet ingredients.

Scrape down from sides of bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Do not skip this part or your cookies will spread!

Pre-heat oven to 375° F. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Roll dough into 1 tbsp sized balls, roll in the granulated sugar to coat. Place on baking mat and press down slightly with a fork. Sprinkle with sea salt. If you would like to use a cookie stamp like I did you will need to use about 2 tablespoons of dough. Lightly grease your cookie stamp and push straight down on dough. Gently pull stamp away from cookie and then sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 7-9 minutes until bottoms are golden brown. Cookies will look under-baked when removed from the oven but will set up on baking sheet. Cool for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Now for the assembly: Place Nutella in a pastry bag and pipe it out onto the bottom of one cookie. Top with another cookie and gently press down. These sandwich cookies are best when assembled just prior to eating. If you wish to assemble them in advance, they can be kept in the refrigerator, just remember to let them come to room temperature before serving.

Enjoy!

Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich Cookies brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

 

Salted and Malted Nutella Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Salted and Malted Nutella Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies. I really don’t know if I need to elaborate on this one… I mean, I don’t know about you, but they had me at Salted & Malted. Nothing more need be said. But then those delicious pair of words are followed by Nutella. And it doesn’t stop there. Oh no. It goes on to read Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie! Have Mercy!

I was instantly confident that this would be the recipe that I would make for World Nutella Day. That’s right, today February 5th is World Nutella Day. This celebration of all things Nutella was started in 2007 by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso as a day to celebrate, get creative with and most importantly, to EAT Nutella.

I love Nutella. Although I missed adding a submission to Nutella Day last year. (Total brain freeze…I have no excuse) I have contributed a couple of truly tasty Nutella laden recipes in years past. There was my exquisite Nutella, Double Chocolate & Banana Tart

and my delightful Nutella & Banana filled Peanut Butter Ebelskivers.

I think these Salted & Malted Nutella Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies are a great way to jump back into the game.

Morgan over at Host the Toast came up with these gems back in December. What a masterpiece! They literally have it all, silky, decadent Nutella, creamy caramel, nostalgic malted goodness and rich chocolate chips all rolled up in a crunchy chewy salted cookie. (Yup…its got the salty/sweet thing covered as well!) They are an absolute breeze to make and as I’m sure you can imagine, are certainly quite easy to eat. (Ahem…probably a bit too easy judging from the fit of my britches…) I can’t get enough of these little devils! Get yourself addicted today!

Salted and Malted Nutella Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

recipe from Host the Toast

yield: 27 Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 and ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup malted milk powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• ⅔ cup Nutella
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ⅔ cup caramel bits (or baking caramels cut into tiny pieces)
• Flaky Sea salt, for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.

Cream together the butter and both sugars in a separate bowl until completely smooth.

Add the Nutella to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined. Add in the egg and vanilla and continue to mix. Then, slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until it all is just incorporated, but don’t over-mix.

Stir in the chocolate chips and caramel bits until evenly distributed. I like to refrigerate cookie dough for an hour or so before baking. It helps to keep it from spreading too quickly in the oven resulting in a very thin cookie. However, this step is optional. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop ( holds about 2 tablespoons) scoop dough and drop onto the parchment paper-covered baking sheets, spacing them out about 2½ inches apart and away from the sides of the sheet. You may have to do multiple batches– don’t try to squeeze them all in.

Sprinkle dough with flaky sea salt.

Bake 10-13 minutes. Remove from the oven. They will still be very, very soft. Leave them on the cookie sheet on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, or until they are solid enough to eat.

Enjoy!

Nutella, Double Chocolate & Banana Tart

A Nutella, Double Chocolate & Banana Tart for the Annual World Nutella Day. Be still my heart! Has there ever been a happier, more delicious convergence of ingredients? I think not, though perhaps adding a little peanut butter into the mix would have made it even more enticing… if that is possible. That’s right, today February 5th is World Nutella Day. This celebration of all things Nutella was started in 2007 by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso as a day to celebrate, get creative with and most importantly, to EAT Nutella.

I absolutely love Nutella. Just spreading it on toast is a joy, not to mention just eating it straight out of the jar. Yup, I might do that from time to time. I participated in World Nutella Day last year with my Nutella & Banana filled Peanut Butter Ebelskivers. ( See..I got the peanut butter in there, but alas no chocolate. I will have to work on this idea for next year…)

This year I present a Nutella, Double Chocolate  Banana Tart. This recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table, which I was lucky enough to receive for Christmas. There are so many fantastic recipes in this book, but this tart caught my eye right away.

The tart looks pretty impressive huh? But it was really surprisingly easy to make and can be done in stages if you’re pressed for time on the day you wish to serve it.  It has a chocolate shortbread base, which can be made ahead of time. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to one month. Once you’ve baked the base, you spread a layer of Nutella over the bottom of the tart shell and then chill it for about 1 hour. While it is chilling, you caramelize a banana and let it cool to room temperature. You then layer the caramelized bananas over the Nutella. But wait, you’re not done yet. Then you pour a rich bittersweet chocolate ganache over the caramelized bananas. The ganache can be made ahead of time as well. It can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. You just need to pop it into the microwave to melt it a bit when you’re ready to assemble your tart.

Once you’ve added the ganache, you chill the tart once again for 30 – 60 minutes, or until you’re ready to serve it. At that point, you finish it off by topping it with freshly cut banana slices.

How does it taste? Unbelievably decadent. You should plan on eating this tart up on the day you make it. I don’t think you’ll have a problem there, it is soooo delicious! If by some bizarre set of circumstances the entire tart is not gobbled up, it will still be fine the next day, except the bananas won’t look as pretty.

Nutella, Double Chocolate & Banana Tart

recipe from : Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table

Ingredients:

For Chocolate Shortbread Dough

• 1 1/4 Cups All-purpose Flour
• 1/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 Cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 9 Tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 Large egg yolk

For the Caramelized Bananas

• 1 ripe but firm banana
• Fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

For the Bittersweet Ganache

• 1/2 lb. bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped
• 1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into four pieces, at room temperature

For the Banana Topping

• 1/2 Cup Apricot jam, strained
• 2-3 ripe but firm bananas
• Fresh lemon juice

2/3 Cup Nutella

Directions:

For the Chocolate Shortbread Dough

Put the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt into a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely. Stir the yolk, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses- about 10 seconds each – until the dough which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and very lightly knead it just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9 – 9 1/2 ” fluted tart pan with a removable bottom (butter the pan even if it’s nonstick)

Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Press the crust in so that the pieces cling to one another and knit together when baked, but don’t use a lot of force  working lightly will preserve the crust’s shortbread-ish texture. Prick the crust all over and freeze for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a piece of aluminum foil and press the foil snugly against the crust.

Bake the crust for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.

Once the crust is completely cooled, spread 2/3 cup of Nutella over the bottom of the baked tart shell and chill the tart for 1 hour.

For the Caramelized Bananas:

Line a plate with parchment paper. Cut the banana into 1/8″ thick slices and toss the slices with lemon juice to keep them from blackening.

Put a large skillet – nonstick – over high heat and toss in the butter. When it melts and starts to bubble, add the bananas, turning them so that they’re coated with butter. Sprinkle the sugar over the bananas and cook, still over high heat, turning, until they’re golden and caramel-coated on both sides. Transfer the bananas to the parchment-lined plate and pat them gently on both sides with paper towels to remove any excess butter. Cool to room temperature. The bananas can be caramelized a couple of hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

To Make the Bittersweet Ganache:

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.Bring the cram to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour it over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 30 seconds or so, then, with a whisk or spatula, gently stir the chocolate and cream together. Stir gently, and when the ganache is smooth and shiny, stir in the butter, piece by piece. The ganache can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months; reheat gently in a microwave before proceeding.

Remove the chilled Nutella covered crust from the refrigerator. Arrange the caramelized bananas in an even layer over the bottom of the crust, then pour over the ganache. Hold the tart pan with both hands and rotate it lightly from side to side to encourage the ganache to even out, then slide the tart into the fridge again to set the ganache, 30 – 60 minutes. You can refrigerate the tart until serving time; just be certain to cover it once the chocolate sets.

To make the topping:

Bring the apricot jam to a boil in a small saucepan or in a microwave oven.

Peel the bananas and cut them on the bias into slices that are a scant 1/4 ” thick. Toss them lightly with just the slightest bit of lemon juice – the juice will keep them from blackening, but you don’t want them to be so wet that they dribble on the ganache. Arrange the banana slices in concentric circles over the top of the tart – start at the outer edge and slightly overlap the slices in a circle, then continue building concentric circles, having each circle slightly overlap its neighbour. Brush the bananas with a thin coating of the hot jam, glazing them evenly. Allow the glaze to cool and set.

When you’re ready to serve, remove the sides of the pan and slide the tart off the bottom of the pan and slice.

Enjoy!

Nutella & Banana filled Peanut Butter Ebelskivers

I first discovered Nutella when I was studying at University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. I can’t believe that I totally missed out on having it during my obviously deprived childhood. I did grow up on an Island, which the yummy hazelnutty goodness of Nutella had apparently not reached. You can imagine my amazement when I saw my college buddies spreading it on toast. What! You can eat chocolate spread on toast! Where have I been! On my first taste I became an instant fan. Also being a huge fan of peanut butter, I immediately dreamed of pairing the two together. Peanut butter was not very popular in Ireland and usually the few jars of it I did come across in the stores were marked “American Peanut Butter” and were adorned with the stars and stripes to ensure there was no mistaking from where this strange concoction had arrived. Chuckling, I grabbed a jar and what can I say…perfection!

Nom!Nom!Nom!

Today, February 5th is the 5th Annual World Nutella Day. This celebration of all things Nutella was started in 2007 by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso as a day to celebrate, get creative with and most importantly, to EAT Nutella.

To that end, I would like to share my fantastically tasty recipe for Nutella & Banana filled Peanut Butter Ebelskivers.”What are ebelskivers” you may ask. They are round pancakes which originated in Denmark and are perfect for breakfast, appetizers or snacks. You will of coarse need one special piece of equipment to make these goodies-namely the Ebelskiver Pan. My husband received one for his birthday a couple of years ago. The ebelskiver turners, long, carved wooden sticks, are great to have, but you could possibly get by with chopsticks, wooden skewers or even knitting needles in a pinch.

Ebelskiver Pan and Turners

One of the biggest keys to being able to successfully create ebelskivers is having all of your ingredients you plan to use, prepped and ready to go.

Bananas standing by

Once you put the batter in the wells of the pan, you must work fairly quickly to add your filling items and then cover them with more of the batter.

Ebelskiver with filling ready for second layer of batter

Turning the treats takes a bit of practice, but you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly. Once it is time to turn them, place your turners on opposite sides of the pancakes and slide them down between the wall of the well and the cooked edges.Gently lift and rotate. Rather than flip mine over all at once, I quickly move around the pan rotating them 1/4 turn at a time until they are completely turned over.

Ebelskivers mid-turn

Once these ebelskivers were done cooking, I rolled them in cinnamon sugar. They are unbelieveable. So mouthwatering, I swear you will absolutely swoon!

Nutella & Banana filled Peanut Butter Ebelskivers

1 Cup (5 oz./155 g) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, separated

1 Cup (8 fl. oz/250 ml) milk

1/2 cup (5 oz/155 g) creamy peanut butter

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Nutella

1 banana cut into 1/2 inch slices and then quartered.

Cinnamon sugar for coating

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk, peanut butter, and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter until smooth. Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and, using a wooden spoon, stir until well blended. Don’t worry-the batter will be lumpy.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the rest just until no white streaks remain.

Add butter to the wells of the ebelskiver pan. This can be done with a pastry brush, or I often just put about 1/8 tsp. in each well. Place the pan over medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add 1 tablespoon of the batter to each well. Working quickly, carefully spoon 1/2 teaspoon of Nutella into the center of each pancake. Add 2-3 pieces of the quarter banana slices. Top each with another 1 tablespoon of the batter.

Cook until the bottoms of the pancakes are lightly browned and crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Use your ebelskiver turners or whatever you have, turn all of the pancakes and cook until browned on the second side-about 3 minutes longer.

Remove the pancakes from the pan, quickly roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture and transfer to a plate. Serve immeadiatly.

Makes 16 ebelskivers. Recipe adapted from Ebelskivers by Kevin Crafts.

Enjoy!