5 minute Nutella Cake for 2 (or one!)

Today is my husband's birthday. He's been working all day and has no idea what time he will be home. So, instead of preparing an amazing dinner only to have him microwave it later, I thought I would make him a cake.

Only I didn't want to make a huge cake that we would eat a quarter of and toss. I wanted something small that he could enjoy when he gets home from work. Oh, and the other thing is that I don't have time to make him a huge cake. Between diapers and dishes, I wanted to find something simple that I could whip up in a flash.

Nutella Pinwheel Cookies

'Tis the season for cookies and cookie swapping! Every year, my sister and I host a cookie swap. Each of the attendees bakes enough of one kind of cookie to give half a dozen to each person. That means, if there are 10 other people, you arrive with 5 dozen of the cookies you baked and leave with 5 dozen cookies that are 10 different varieties! 

I love this event, especially this year when I am crunched for time with a newborn. Essentially, I can make 1 type of cookie and end up with 10 kinds, many of which I have never tried before! 

This year, I wanted to make a simple cookie and one that I could make ahead. That way, I could make the dough at any point in the month leading up to the cookie swap, and bake them fresh the day before. I though the perfect choice would be a sliced icebox cookie. 

The tough decision was the filling. I was toying with making a cranberry orange compote for the inside or using my favorite jam, and then it hit me. Nutella. Who doesn't love Nutella? So, the nutella pinwheel cookie was born.

Nutella, Cranberry & Chocolate Cookies

With less than 1 month to go before Christmas, it is time to get baking!

I am usually a cookie traditionalist. I like my Christmas shortbread, thumbprint cookies and other classic Christmas cookies that my mom used to make at Christmas time. 

However, I always like to try something new as well and make new traditions. In this case, I was also looking for an easy drop cookie that could become a staple year round.

These fudgey, delicious Nutella cookies combine everything I like about Christmas (cranberries and nuts), with the creamy yummy spread we love.... Nutella. They are super simple to make and since they are drop cookies, you can put away the rolling pins, cookie presses and the like and easily make these cookies in an hour.

When they are warm, they are fudgey and delicious, and when they are room temperature, they are equally decadent. (oh, and they are delicious frozen too for those of you who LOVE frozen cookies like me!).

Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

I think Thumbprint cookies are my favorite kind of cookie. I love the way they look and the richness with the sticky sweetness of the filling.  

Every year, my mom makes them at Christmas time, rolled with sesame seeds and filled with red jam (for my mom's thumbprint cookie recipe, click here).

And I often take this recipe, and switch thing up, by rolling the cookies in nuts or sugar, or filling them with nutella or cream cheese.  Today, I am twisting this idea even further by playing with the classic combination of peanut butter and jelly.

I mean, who doesn't like peanut butter and jelly? And in a cookie, it's got to be a winner!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

Adapted from www.joyofbaking.com

Makes about 30 cookies

1/2 cup Butter, room temperature

3/4 cup Smooth Peanut Butter

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

1/3 cup White Sugar

1 Large Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

2 tbsp Milk

1 1/2 cups Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

Jam

Sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, peanut butter, brown and white sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir to incorporate.

Roll the dough into 2 cm balls. Roll in white sugar and place on lined baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes, pull out of oven, and using your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon, press to form holes in the centre of the cookies. Fill with jam and bake again for about 5 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

The Fluffiest Pancakes Ever!

I love pancakes. And there are so many great recipes out there that it can be difficult to choose.

But after trying these pancakes once, they have become THE recipe in this household. Why? Because they are simple and work every single time!

I also really like this recipe because it works with whole wheat flour. I have tried it with 100% whole wheat, and 100% white, but I think this 50/50 recipe gives the best balance.

This is the pancake at its simplest. Feel free to add whatever toppings and variations you want (see some possibilities below) and make this recipe your own!  Enjoy!

The Fluffiest Pancakes Ever

Recipe adapted from Saveur Magazine

Makes about 1 dozen pancakes

1 cup White Flour

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

2 tsp Sugar

1⁄2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 cup Low Fat Yogurt

1⁄2 cup Sparkling Water

2 Eggs

Butter for pan

Possible “Stuffings”: chocolate chips, berries, nuts, bananas, dried fruit, apple

Possible Toppings: Jam, Nutella, Butter, Maple syrup

Stir together the flours, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add the yogurt, eggs, and sparkling water and mix together until combined. Let the batter rest for about 15-20 minutes.

Over medium heat, melt a little butter in a large, non stick pan. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan to make 1 pancake. Depending on the size of your pan, you could make between about 2-4 pancakes each batch.

 Let the pancakes cook without touching them for a few minutes, until bubbles start to surface at the top of the pancake. At this point, sprinkle any of your desired stuffings onto the pancake (eg. Chocolate chips) and press down lightly. Then flip each pancake and cook until lightly golden on the other side. Transfer pancakes onto a baking sheet and place in a warm oven. Repeat the process with the rest of the batter.

Serve with your desired toppings.

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

I often read recipes to get inspiration. Then, I use this inspiration to create recipes and dishes of my own. However, there are times when I come across something that I just have to try. And this recipe was one of them. Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt from the Cookin Canuck. How could this not be delicious! Besides the fact that it sounded so simple. So, I added it to my “To Make” list and decided to try it out for Christmas.

Boy was I in for a treat! It was so easy to make with ingredients already kicking around in my pantry, and it was just as perfect as it sounded. In fact, it was absolutely divine and a huge hit with my friends. Try this one, you won’t be disappointed. Thank you Cookin’ Canuck!!!

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

Recipe from the Cookin' Canuck

http://cookincanuck.blogspot.com/2010/12/chocolate-nutella-fudge-with-sea-salt.html

Makes 4 dozen fudge squares

Butter, for greasing pan

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (395 grams or 14 oz)

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

250 grams Bittersweet Chocolate (at least 60% cacao)

1 cup Nutella, room temperature

3 tbsp Unsalted Butter, cold and cut into pieces

Sea salt, approximately 1/2 tsp

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with butter. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overlap on the sides.

In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate and Nutella.

Form a double-boiler by setting the bowl on a medium pot of gently simmering water. The water level should be low enough that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the cold butter. Remove the mixture from the heat and scrape into the prepared pan, spread the top smooth with a spatula, and sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate until the fudge is firm, at least 2 hours.

When the fudge is set, run the sides of the pan under hot water for just a few seconds. This should loosen the fudge from the pan. Lift the fudge out of the pan, peel off the parchment paper, and place on a cutting board. Cut the fudge into 3/4-inch squares. Enjoy!

Thumb Print Cookies

These are definitely some of my favorite childhood cookies. Okay, forget childhood, they are STILL my favorite cookies. They remind me of Christmas, when my mom would make batches and batches of all sorts of cookies. Then after Christmas, I would sneak down to the deep freeze, and search through all the tins of frozen leftover cookies to find these ones.



My mom always rolled them in sesame seeds rather than nuts like in most recipes. And she usually baked them with the jam, usually strawberry. In my version, I baked them without the jam, then filled them before serving. I did this mostly so that I could freeze the leftover cookies and fill them with whatever inspired me later. In fact, since the making of these cookies, I have filled them with mulberry jam, homemade strawberry jam and of course, Nutella!

Thumb Print Cookies
Recipe Adapted from http://www.joyofbaking.com
Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup Butter, room temperature
1/4 cup White Sugar
1 Large Egg, separated
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup Flour
1/8 tsp Salt
1 cup Sesame Seeds, untoasted
1/2 cup Jam for filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter and beat just until combined. If the batter is too soft to roll into balls, refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Place the sesame seeds on a plate. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Taking one ball of dough at a time, dip first into the egg white and then lightly roll in the seeds. Place on the prepared baking sheet spacing about 1 inch. Using your thumb or end of a wooden spoon, make a indentation into the center of each cookie.

At this point, if you want to fill and bake with jam inside, you can. Otherwise, you can fill the centers with jam before serving. This is best if you want to store the cookies for more than a few days as the jam will soften the cookies over time. Bake for about 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

Easy Sweet or Savory Crepes

Crepes are basically an unleavened French pancake. We usually pay a fortune for all different sorts of crepes in restaurants, cafes, and creperies, but what many of us don’t realize is that they are super easy and inexpensive to make. Also, all of the ingredients are pantry staples so this recipe doesn’t require a lot of forethought. As far as equipment goes, you really don’t need one of those fancy crepe pans that you see in the restaurants (unless of course, you want one!). All you need is a regular non-stick pan (of any size) and some kind of flipper or spatula.

Once you master the basic technique, you can use your imagination and fill them with just about anything. Think about all the different types of crepes you have eaten or seen on menus… sweet crepes like crepes suzette and savory crepes filled with spinach and ricotta.



Now think about all of your favorite things….Think Nutella, chocolate and marshmallows, smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers, lobster or even ice cream! Crepes are a clean canvas that you can dress up any way you like.

They are so versatile, you can use them at your dinner parties, or as a substitute for bread when you haven’t had time to run to the store.



This is really as easy as it gets. Crepes seem high maintenance, but really, they are very easy. You can make the batter up to 24 hours in advance (or maybe more, I never tried) and just put it in the fridge.

For my crepes, I made three different kinds: Nutella and Banana, Banana and Condensed Milk, and Scrambled Egg with Cheddar. You can use whatever fillings or toppings you like. Just to get you started, here are a few ideas...



Ideas for Savory Crepe Fillings:
- Ricotta Cheese and Spinach
- Scrambled Eggs with Cheese (and bacon)
- Ham and Cheese
- Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, Red Onions, Capers
- Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil
- Grilled Veggies

Ideas for Sweet Crepe Fillings:
- Nutella & Banana
- Nutella & Marshmellows
- Fruit Jam
- Fresh Fruit with Whipped Cream
- Sauteed Apples, Peaches, or Pears
- Ice Cream or Sorbet

Easy Sweet or Savory Crepes
Serves 2
(makes 8 crepes using a 8 inch pan)

1/2 cup Flour (you could use whole wheat if you like)
1 Egg
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 cup Water
1/8 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Butter, melted
Optional: 1 tbsp Sugar (for sweet crepes)

Just a note: for sweet crepes, you can add 1 tbsp of Sugar in with your batter to sweeten it up a little. My husband loves his batter with this little bit of sugar. For me, I like to skip it and keep my crepe batter versatile. Then I can use the same crepes for sweet and savory!

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients (including optional sugar) except melted butter and beat well until smooth and combined. (If you are making ahead, cover and place the bowl in the fridge for up to 24 hours)

Add melted butter and beat well.

Very lightly grease a non-stick frying pan over medium heat (I like to use butter because of the flavor). Slowly pour the batter into the pan, tilting the pan so that the batter coats surface evenly. Be sure not to pour too much batter. You just want enough to coat the pan.

Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until just brown. Remove from pan and fill with your preferred fillings. Serve flat with toppings, folded over, or rolled.

Amazing Camping Food- Part 3

So, more about my method of "Wrap-it-in-tin-foil-and-chuck-it-in-the-fire."

As I mentioned previously, this works with pretty much anything. The idea is slow cooking over an open fire while you get on with setting up or tearing down camp, playing with the dog, hiking or playing cards. Plus, there is the added bonus of good tasting camping food!

In this post, I will go through this method using 2 more examples (for a 3rd example, see my previous post for roasted chicken) just to show you how versatile it is.



Campfire Baked Potatoes with Cheddar

Large baking potatoes
Cheese, sliced or grated
Salt and Pepper
Butter

This is the easiest and most satisfying camp food ever!

Wash the potatoes and then wrap them individually in tin foil.

After you start your campfire, place the wrapped potatoes at the edges of the fire, so that they get the heat but are not directly in the flame. Let the bake there while you prepare all your other food, go for a hike, or do something else (they need about 1 hour to 1.5 hours).

Once the potatoes are tender, remove them from the fire, slice them in the middle, and stuff with cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap them again in the tin foil and place again in the fire for about 5 minutes, just until the cheese is melted. Remove from the fire, add a spoon of butter, and enjoy!

Alternatively, if you have a campfire at lunch to make the toasted ham and cheese sandwiches, just as the campfire is dying down from lunch, wrap the potatoes and place them in the glowing embers of the fire. Leave them there until dinner time. At dinner time, remove from the fire pit and build your campfire. When you are ready to eat them, stuff with cheese, throw them back in the fire, and enjoy!


Yum Yum Yum....and if that didn't just wet your appetite, this next recipe for Warmed Baked Apples filled with Nutella certainly will!


Warm Baked Apples filled with Nutella

Apples (any kind)
Nutella

Wash the apples. Cut off the top of the apple and remove the core, but ensure not to puncture the apple all the way through.

Fill with nutella. Place the top back on the apple. Wrap tightly with tin foil.

Place in the glowing embers of the campfire, not in the flame. Allow the apple to bake for about 30-45 minutes (while you are cleaning up from dinner, relaxing by the fire, doing the dishes, playing cards). When you remove the apple from the fire, it should be fork tender and melting in your mouth. Enjoy!

Warm Lemon Polenta Cakes: Au Naturel, with Berries, or a la Nutella!!!

I love polenta. For those of you who do not know what polenta is, you've been missing out. In fact, I missed out also. I was never introduced to polenta until my 20's, when I encountered it in restaurants and then started to use it at home.

So, what is it? Basically, polenta is coarsely ground cornmeal. It is a staple food of Northern Italy, but has made it's way onto restaurant menus and into households around the world. It can be used in a variety of ways. Basic polenta is cornmeal made into a thick porridge by boiling it in water. It can be eaten plain and fresh, with the addition of cheese, butter, milk, vegetables, or as an accompaniment to fish or meat. You can also allow it to cool and set, then cut it into shapes and fry or grill it.

Polenta is a great alternative to rice or potatoes. It is an especially good substitute for mashed potatoes, since you can add butter and cream and achieve the same consistency, creaminess, and therefore comfort factor from a bowl of steaming hot polenta as you can from mashed potatoes.



Until recently, I mainly thought of polenta as a savory food. Yes, I have encountered polenta in baked goods, but mainly in bread to add texture and crunch. But today, I made some delicious, sweet polenta cakes. They were flavored with some fresh lemon and I tell you, they were divine! To sweeten things up a little more, I “stuffed” two of them with a nutella center. I also considered mixing some berries into the batter, but that will have to be for another day…

Warm Lemon Polenta CakesMakes 4 individual sized cakes (the size of muffins)

75 grams Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
60 grams White Sugar
75 grams Almond Powder
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of ¼ Lemon
¼ tsp Baking Powder
¼ tsp Salt
40 grams Polenta (yellow cornmeal)
Optional: Nutella or ¼ cup fresh berries

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in almond powder, then egg, then vanilla extract, then lemon zest and lemon juice, being sure to beat well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, mix together polenta, salt and baking powder. Add these dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture.

Grease 4 muffin cups or 4 ramekins, then dust with flour.

To make Polenta Cakes au Naturel:

Fill the ramekins ¾ of the way full with the batter.

To make Polenta Cakes a la Nutella:

Fill the ramekins ¾ of the way full with the batter. Then make a small hole in the centre and add about 1 tbsp of nutella into each one.

To make Polenta Cakes with Berries:

Stir about ¼ cup of fresh berries into the batter (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or strawberry pieces). Then fill the ramekins ¾ of the way full with the batter

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes before flipping onto a plate.

Enjoy warm as is or with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Cooking is Contagious: Simple Brioche

Everyone says that smiles are contagious. And it's true. They are.

So is cooking. Once a household is invigorated by the smells and tastes of great food, others are somehow inspired to take on the task and try to recreate their favorite recipes.

Take my husband for example. He is the most patient, willing, taste-tester that exists. He will always try my creations and provide critique. He will also provide some ideas of his own (which I will then attempt to execute).

Then, every once in a while, he will become so inspired by an idea that he will try his own hand in the kitchen (albeit, it's usually when I am not around so perhaps its his hunger that inspires this flurry of activity).

Oh well. I'm not complaining! Regardless of the inspiration, when I returned home, I was greeted by the smell of freshly baked goods. On inspection, I found the suspect. Peeking out from under its hiding place was the muted yellow flesh of a perfectly baked loaf of Brioche. Yum yum!

What is brioche you ask? Well, it's basically a yeast leavened bread which is rich and tender because of the addition of eggs and butter.

The French (a.k.a- my husband) love brioche because it has a delicate crumb, can be made slightly sweet, and works well as the base for a tartine with butter, jam or NUTELLA!! And we all know how the French love a good tartine!! Let's eat!!

Simple Brioche Recipe
Makes 1 Loaf

375 grams White Flour
1 Tbsp Instant Dry Yeast
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 pinch Salt
1/3 cup Whole Milk, Slightly Warm
80 grams Unsalted Butter, melted but not hot (at Room Temp)
2 Large Eggs plus 1 Large Egg, Room Temperature

In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.

Make a well in the middle and add the milk. At the same time, slowly incorporate the milk with the flour and yeast by stirring gently with a fork.

Add the butter, one piece at a time while continuing to mix, now with your fingers.

Add 2 off the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each to ensure they are incorporated. Once both the eggs are added, knead the dough until it is elastic and smooth.

Cover with plasic wrap and let proof in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, until it doubles in size.

Once doubled, punch the dough down with your fingers, then gently knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a log or into 4 balls and place in a greased loaf mold and cover. Let rise for another hour.

Preheat the oven at 230C/450 F.

Brush the brioche with the remaining beaten egg.

Bake until golden brown - about 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches about 185 degrees. Remove, unmold and let cool on a rack.

T is for Tartine

Nutella & Caramelized Banana Tartine

If you are going to bake bread, then you had better understand the concept of tartine.

Definition: tar·tine (tär-tēn') - A French open-faced sandwich, especially one with a rich or fancy spread. [French, from Old French, diminutive of tarte, tart.]
From: The New Food Lover's Companion, 3rd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst, published by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

Well that's all fine and good, but what does that mean exactly? For me, it means the perfect balance of bread and spread. There are really an infinite number of possibilities, but I really believe that simplicity reigns in this case.

In its simplest of forms, a tartine could be composed of a slice of bread and butter (salted, of course). A little more intriguing would see the bread spread with Nutella. For a more worldly touch? Add Vegemite. As comfort food? Add PB & J. For a sophisticated feel? Add fig jam, crumbled blue cheese, walnuts, and a drizzle of honey.

A piece of bread can transport you to any place in the world, at any time of day, without a lot of effort. It is a medium by which to communicate flavors, bring back memories, and convey feelings.

Here are some of my all time favorites (in no particular order):

• Nutella

• Nutella with Caramelized Banana (slice the banana, sprinkle with sugar, and torch it!! or, broil it until caramelized)

• Butter & Good Quality Shaved Dark Chocolate (shave it with a potato peeler or grate it)

• Butter & Jam (I love St Dalfour Jamswhich are all natural, sugar free, meaning only natural sweetness!)

• Cream Cheese, Thin Shaved Red Onion, Smoked Salmon (topped with caviar anyone??)

• Grilled Chicken & Mango Chutney

• Grainy Mustard & Emmental Cheese

• Sliced Crisp Red Apple & Sharp Cheddar

• Fig Jam, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and Honey Drizzle

The question now is: When does it become a sandwich??? Well, duh, when you add another slice of bread!

So why not? Why not rid ourselves of this confusing, half sandwich ''tartine" (a.k.a. "open faced sandwich) and give in to the conventional sandwich?

After much deliberation, here is my conclusion (and please, feel free to drawn your own)… as the tartine is a French term, and the French are known for richness and moderation, two slices of bread warrants more spread, more filling, and more calories to maintain the same balance of flavor and texture as the tartine while maintaining the svelte French figure (reference the book, French Women Don't Get Fat). Therefore, one slice is better. I mean, you have to remember also, we are not talking about your typical white sandwich bread here. We are talking about a thick slice of freshly baked, rustic country bread. With two slices, how would you fit it into your mouth? Let's go try....