I am totally tickled to bring you this post from my sweet and sassy (and super talented) friend Jaclyn! I met Jaclyn in Nashville last year at Food Blog Forum and LURVED her from the get go! Her blog, Food + Words is incredibly gorgeous, her photography is unlike any other, it’s calming and quietly elegant to me. Her writing is so natural that it makes me feel like I’m right there with her in her kitchen and her recipes (do you see that skillet cake above – swoon) make me want to immediately jump into my kitchen & make whatever she’s posted. In short, she’s awesome & I know you’ll love Jaclyn as much as I do xoxo -Paula
I am thrilled to be guest posting on Bella Nutella! As I’m sure you’re aware, Nutella is dangerously addictive stuff. I can’t let myself buy it too often, because if there’s a jar in the house, I’ll usually eat the whole thing before I get a chance to make anything with it! I’m pretty stealthy, like a cat burglar. I silently slink into the kitchen, spoon at the ready. I don’t even need to look in the cabinet to find the jar–it’s purely muscle memory.
When Paula asked me to guest post on Bella Nutella, I knew I had to leave at least a few spoonfuls of Nutella to make a proper dessert for the site! I’m finishing up my studies at culinary school, where I’m specializing in baking and pastry. I play with sugar and butter and chocolate all day long, and every day I come home from school and bake even more. What can I say, baking is just in my blood!
At school, we make all sorts of fancy french pastries and gateaus that are certainly beautiful, but require a lot of patience and energy. While overly complicated plated desserts have their time and place, they certainly aren’t what I’m making for my husband and friends when I’m home. My favorite things to bake are often quite simple: quick breads, cheesecakes, cookies, and my personal favorite category of desserts: Anytime Cake.
An Anytime Cake is, as you might imagine, a cake you can bake and eat anytime, day or night. It’s simple, unpretentious and comes together in a matter of minutes. Anytime Cakes are perfect to whip up when you find out your husband is on his way home for dinner–with his boss in tow, or when the itch to bake must be scratched on a Sunday morning.
My Nutella Hazelnut Skillet Cake is the epitome of the perfect Anytime Cake: wonderfully simple to prepare, rustic and beautiful when baked, and off-the-charts in terms of flavor. The cake is baked in a cast iron skillet, which makes the edges crisp and lovely. The crumb is tender and moist, and the crunch of the toasted hazelnuts on top provide a wonderful contrast of texture, as well as highlight the Nutella flavor throughout the cake. You could serve this cake with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, or even ice cream.
…Or, you could be like me and enjoy a thick wedge for breakfast with a cup of coffee. It’s the breakfast of champions!
Nutella Hazelnut Skillet Cake Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients:
Butter and flour, for the skillet
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (substitute instant coffee granules)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 ounces Nutella
4-5 ounces chopped hazelnuts, skins removed
Directions:
1. Butter and flour a 10” cast iron skillet, and set aside.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, cream, vanilla and instant espresso powder, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted on, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until the mixture is pale and voluminous, about 2 minutes. Add the Nutella and beat until combined, about 30 seconds-1 minute. Turn the mixer on low and add the dry and wet ingredients to the mixer bowl in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
5. When the last of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, scrape the batter into the prepared skillet using a spatula, smoothing the surface of the batter. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts atop the batter.
6. Bake the cake at 350 degrees F for 40-55 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are cooked and the center is set. The cake will look and feel undercooked in the center, but since the cake will be staying in the pan until completely cool, the heat of the skillet will finish cooking the cake completely once out of the oven. Remove the skillet from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
7. When ready to serve, simply cut the cake in the skillet into thick slices and serve at room temperature. Top with freshly whipped cream, if desired, and serve with cold milk!
8. Cover the cake in the skillet with plastic wrap and store at room temperature, where it will keep for up to four days.
Notes: This cake freezes beautifully as well! Simply wrap the cooled cake well in plastic wrap, then placed in a zip-top plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible and store in the freezer, where it will be good for up to six months. When ready to serve, transfer the cake from the freezer to the fridge but don’t unwrap it, and allow to thaw overnight.
Recipes, photos and text by Jaclyn Fishman
Visit Jaclyn’s Blog: FOOD + WORDS
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I know I’ve said it before but I really do have the most talented friends EVER. Are you still staring at the picture above? I don’t blame you, I almost licked the screen myself when I saw it. Today’s calorie free (wink wink) guest post comes from my friend Liren who writes the award nominated (soon to be winning I’m sure ; ) blog Kitchen Confidante. She makes some smack dab decadent food and takes ridiculously amazing photos to go with her recipes. I know you’re going to love this and her ’cause I sure do! – Paula
There was a time, if you can believe, that the word Nutella was non-existent in my husband’s vocabulary. He somehow was oblivious to this world of chocolate and hazelnut gooeyness, and for quite a while, I think he actually eyed me with suspicion when I would indulge in a Nutella-banana waffle sandwich for dessert (my favorite way to enjoy it!).
I’m not sure when the transformation happened, but let me just tell you, it has. It was as if the chocolate heavens opened and my husband, the doubter, followed the light. He has been a Nutella believer ever since.
Let’s just say we now go through a lot of Nutella at our house. A lot.
When Paula asked me to write a guest post for Bella Nutella, I was all too happy to do so, and I knew exactly what I would make. For several months, I have been playing around a brownie recipe, and I knew that its next incarnation would have to involve Nutella. The result is almost like a brownie souffle, with a warm center of Nutella bliss.
But promise me one thing. If you make this, you have to go all the way. This is not a, oh I’ll just have the brownie kind of thing. You must, must, must do it a la mode. Make it with frozen yogurt, if it will make you feel better. But don’t forget the warm Nutella sauce. And the crushed hazelnuts. Trust me. You’ll be happy you did.
Serves 4.
These individual servings are quite generous, with one ramekin easily serving two. I recommend grabbing two spoons and the person you love the most and sharing.
For the Ramekins:
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons cocoa butter
4 6-ounce ramekins, about 4 inches in diameter
For the Brownies:
4 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Nutella
For the Nutella Sauce:
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup skim milk
To Serve:
Vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream
Nutella Sauce
Crushed hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Prepare the ramekins by buttering each and dusting with cocoa powder, shaking off the excess. Set aside.
In the bowl of a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water, stirring well to combine.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Add the chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Stir in the flour and salt, be careful not to overmix. Divide the batter into the ramekins. Drop two tablespoons of Nutella in the center of each filled ramekin, and using a fork, stir the Nutella into the batter, folding it about three times.
Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes. The brownie will still be soft in the middle. Cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes before un-molding.
As the brownies cool, in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, stir together the Nutella and milk. The sauce should be glistening and warm.
To serve, un-mold the warm brownie on a platter. Top with vanilla ice cream, warm Nutella sauce and crushed hazelnuts. Serve immediately.
Recipe adapted from Marble Fudge Brownies, The Union Square Cafe Cookbook, by Danny Meyer and Michael Romano.
Visit Liren’s Blog: KITCHEN CONFIDANTE
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How insanely cute are those mini Nutella crostatas? Since they’re mini it’s totally okay to eat two or three myself right ; ) These adorable crostatas are made by my sweet friend Lora whom I can’t wait to finally hug her neck next month in Orlando (finalmente) have a glass of wine, speak Italian at a mile a minute and plot our next trip to Italy! I met Lora like I met so many other of my fantastic friends, online. We immediately bonded over our love for all things Italian. She’s gorgeous, generous and in typical Italian style loves to feed everyone and often. Grab a jar of Nutella, you’ll need the whole thing for this tasty treat (another reason I love her) – Paula
Buon giorno sweet fellow Nutella fans! I was tickled when my darling friend Paula asked me to contribute to the delicious Bella Nutella. Thank you for having me here today, Paula. It’s truly a pleasure. My head is spinning in delight from all the amazing guest posts here these last weeks. If you follow Paula and I on Twitter, you may have caught some of our chats over the last year gushing over Nutella. We also gush over Italy and any thing Italian. I am sure one day we will take a fabulous trip there together or finally get that farm we dream about.;)
I knew there was one Italian dessert I could share that brings back sweet memories of being a kid in Italy: A crostata filled with luscious Nutella. The creamy Nutella is comfortably nestled between two buttery and flaky crusts. It is truly sinful. One mini crostata would be perfect for two. Or you could be really bad and enjoy one all by yourself;) Go ahead, you deserve it!:)
The pasta frolla dough is enough for one regular size tart pan if you don’t have the mini size pans. A fantastic dessert for Valentine’s day! You could prepare the dough ahead and let it chill in the refrigerate until you are ready to work with it (up to 7 days.) Buon Appetito!
Mini Nutella Crostata {Crostatine alla Nutella}
makes 4 mini crostata or 1 regular size (serves approx 6-8)
Pasta Frolla recipe:
300 grams (10.54 ounces)pastry flour
200 grams (7.025 ounces) unsalted butter
100 grams (3.512 ounces) sugar
1 whole egg and 1 yolk ( 60 grams eggs)
1 26.5 ounce jar of Nutella
What to do:
1. In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour and sugar and process a few times to mix together. Next add the butter and pulse a few times until the mixture looks like wet sand. Add the egg and yolk and process a few seconds more until the dough forms . Be sure to not overprocess the dough.
2. Dump the dough from the food processor bowl onto a lightly floured counter. Form the dough into four disks and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 375°F with a foil-lined large baking sheet on middle rack.
4. When the dough is nicely chilled, remove from the refrigerator. Roll out the first piece of dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 1/8-inch thick or slightly thicker. Keep other pieces of dough chilling while assembling the tarts one at a time.
5. Spray an 11-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom with baking spray. Gently wrap the dough over the rolling pin and place it over the first mini tart pan (or an 11-inch fluted tart pan); release the rolling pin and let the dough fall into the tart pan. Press the dough softly into the bottom of the tart pan. If some of the dough breaks while you press it into the tart pan, that’s not a problem. Simply piece the dough together. Press the sides of the dough about 1/2 -inch up the side of the tart pan. The rim of the tart should be lined with a slightly thicker layer of pastry than the bottom (about 1/4-inch thick). Cut off the extra dough from the sides and keep these excess pieces to make the lattice topping. Repeat this process with the remaining 3 tart shells. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap. Place the remaining dough and the tart pans in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to chill.
6. When the tart shells are chilled, remove them from the refrigerator and prick the pastry bottoms with a fork a few times. Fill each tart shell with Nutella almost all the way to the top. Roll out the extra dough into lattice strips. Place the dough strips in a criss-cross pattern over the Nutella. Repeat the same process with the remaining three tart shells.
7. Place the mini crostatas on a baking sheet and bake for about 25-30 minutes at 375 F, or until the crust is a light golden brown. *Check the crostata at 25 minutes. Every oven is different. The crust should not be too brown.
Thanks again to Lora for stopping by with these absolutely adorable Mini Nutella Crostatas aka Crack Crostatas ! Be sure to…
Visit Lora’s blog, Cake Duchess
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Are you drooling? I know I was the minute this edible art from my friend Giulia arrived in my inbox. I am in complete awe of how talented my friends are. I’m beyond excited to introduce you to my friend Giulia, aka Juls. I met Juls like I’ve met so many other of my brilliant blogging friends, online. She’s not only gorgeous (I have serious hair and dimple envy) she can whip up anything you’d like. Her smile is infectious and so is her personality! I know you’ll love her as much as I do! If you’re in Tuscany visiting you can even take a class with her. I can’t wait to make it to Tuscany to have a glass of wine and chat for hours! Until then, I will bake this tart and you should too – Paula
When Paula asked me to contribute with a Nutella sweet treat to the blog bella nutella, I decided to take up the challenge and dig into the Tuscan culinary tradition to find a typical cake made with this delicious chocolate spread… a trip to the Mount Amiata to visit some friends made me discover the ricciolina tart… I bet you will adore it!
The ricciolina tart hides between two crumbly shortcrust layers a thick Nutella filling and a generous handful of dried fruit, just to make it even more devilishly good. As the filling is made with Nutella, the first thing that comes to mind would be to use hazelnuts, but you can find sometimes also almonds or walnuts. I chose walnuts.
The walnuts are extremely appreciated in the Tuscan pastry making (just think at cavallucci) and their use goes back to the old times when myths and legends were part of the everyday life. Despite the love for this rich dried fruit, the relationship with the walnut trees has always been based on respect and fear. It was thought that the witches chose these trees as a shelter: every time the wayfarers found a walnut tree with a cracked trunk, they used to abandon that path not to wake up the witch who rested inside.
This is a mountain tart, a rustic and traditional shortcrust with a thick filling of Nutella and walnuts, covered by a gentle puff of meringue on which you can draw squiggles of chocolate, from which the cake takes its name.
Nutella and meringue tart Serves: 8
Ingredients:
300 g of organic plain flour
150 g of sugar
150 g of butter
1 packet of baking powder (about 17 g)
1 pinch of salt
3 eggs (1 whole egg + 2 yolks, do not throw the egg whites, you’ll need them for the meringue)
400 g of Nutella
80 g of shelled walnuts, or almonds, or hazelnuts
For the meringue
2 egg whites
4 tablespoons of sugar
Instructions:
1. Mix the flour with the sugar, the salt and the baking powder. Add the diced butter and rub all the ingredients with your fingertips as to make soft crumbles, just as grated Parmesan cheese.
2. Beat a whole egg and two yolks in a bowl, then add them to the crumbles and keep rubbing the ingredients with your fingertips until you have a nice and smooth ball of dough. Flatten the dough ball with your hands, wrap it in clingfilm and let it rest in the fridge for at least one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C.
4. Divide the dough into two equal parts: line a 24 cm buttered round baking pan with half of the shortcrust dough, then spread half of the Nutella on the pie and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts.
5. Roll out the second part of shortcrust pastry in a disk big enough to cover the cake. Press the edges to seal the pie and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
6. Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form then gradually add 4 tablespoons of sugar, keeping on whipping the egg whites until the meringue is firm and glossy.
7. After 40 minutes of baking, when the cake is golden, remove it from the oven and spoon the meringue over the cake, using a spatula or the back of a spoon to shape it and create some puffs of meringue.
8. Stir quickly the leftover Nutella in the jar to heat it up, then drizzle it on the meringue and mix them gently with a fork to form crazy doodles.
9. Bake again the cake for 2 minutes, and as soon as the meringue gets firm on the surface and slightly golden, remove from the oven and let it cool completely before you slice it.
Thanks again to Giulia for stopping by with this ridiculously delicious Nutella and Meringue Tart ! Be sure to…
We’re continuing to spread the Nutella love with a guest post today from the oh so cute Krista of Budget Gourmet Mom! She’s full of spunk and I like that about her. She also has this amazing banana Nutella cream pie that’s she sharing with us today so grab your bananas you’re going to want to make this one! – Paula
I have known my husband for more than 10 years.
I know he is not a huge dessert fan. Crazy? Yes.
Do I still love him despite his faults? Of course! After all, I get his dessert. We are truly a match made in heaven.
The balance I have so carefully created is in jeopardy. I made a mistake the other day. I made this pie and now, I fear, I will be sharing my dessert forever more.
At least it’s with someone I love. Awwww. The only person who could possibly get one bite of my pie, my man.
Banana-Nutella Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust
What you’ll need:
1 ½ cups pretzel crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
¾ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup flour
¼ tsp salt
2 cups whole milk
3 egg yolks-
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 bananas
½ cup Nutella
What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine pretzel crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press into a 9” pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes.
2. In a medium saucepan mix the sugar, flour, and salt. Slowly stir in the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a gentle boil and thickens. Cook for about 2 minutes longer and remove from heat.
3. In a small bowl slightly beat egg yolks. Temper the egg yolks by stirring a small amount of the milk mixture into the egg yolks. Add the egg yolk mixture to the rest of the milk mixture in the saucepan. Cook another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and butter. Allow to cool.
4. While the custard cools slice 2 bananas and place them evenly around the bottom of the pie crust. Place the Nutella in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 10-20 seconds until slightly pourable. Do not microwave long or it will become hard. Pour over the sliced bananas.
5. Pour the custard over the banana and Nutella. Chill completely before serving. Before serving, top with the last banana, sliced, whipped cream, and a drizzle of Nutella.
Thanks again to Krista for stopping by with this perfect Nutella Banana Cream Pie! Be sure to…
We’re continuing our guest series with a doozy from Jessica of The Novice Chef. I have to say that Jessica might be one of the most adorable and fun people I have ever met. She’s just HAPPY and FUNNY and oh yeah she’s that pretty in person too. I know! It would be hard not to like her if she wasn’t so stinking fabulous! There is a house for sale two doors down and I think I’m going to try to convince her to buy it, so she can make me these ah-mazing knockoff Ferrero Rocher Truffles (which btw are one of my favorite chocolates in the world) and browned buttah anything because she’s the princess of browned butter. – Paula
When Paula asked me to come up with a fun Nutella treat for all of you here on Bella Nutella, I was totally down for the job…until I realized all of my ideas had already been posted. I know Paula is the queen of Nutella…but dang, girlfriend didn’t leave any good ideas left for the rest of us! I spent an afternoon scouring some of my favorite blogs and didn’t find a single recipe I just *HAD* to make. I tried looking at some magazines for more ideas…but instead found myself distracted by shiny things and bad television.
Knockoff Ferrero Rocher Truffles Yield: 16 Truffles
Recipe Note: For the chocolate coating, feel free to temper your own chocolate instead of using chocolate candy coating. I wrote the recipe to use chocolate candy coating disks because I know tempering chocolate can be a pain.
Ingredients:
16 Vanilla Wafers
1/2 cup Nutella
16 roasted hazelnuts
4 oz chocolate candy coating
Directions:
1. In a food processor, pulse vanilla wafers for 5 to 6 seconds. You want the wafers to be chopped, not turned into powder (some powder is ok). Remove from food processor and place in a medium sized bowl. Break up any remaining large chunks by hand. Mix in Nutella, until fully combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Cover a large cookie sheet with waxed paper, set aside. Remove Nutella mixture from refrigerator. Using your hands, shape 1 tablespoon of Nutella mixture into a ball around 1 hazelnut. Place on wax paper and continue until all the mixture has been used.
3. Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler or microwave according to the package’s directions. Using toothpicks, or a dipping tool, dip truffles into the chocolate. Remove any excess chocolate and return to the wax paper lined cookie sheet. Continue this process until all the truffles have been coated. Refrigerate truffles until the chocolate has set (about 30 minutes) and then store them in an airtight container for up to a week.
Thanks again to Jessica for stopping by with these so good they’ll stop traffic Knockoff Ferrero Rocher Truffles! Be sure to…
Have you noticed that we have some very talented friends stopping by our little blog lately. Today is no exception, we have my sweet sweet friend Christina. I met her what seems like forever ago when she emailed me regarding a question on one of my recipes – Gnocchi to be exact. One email led to two, to three then to texts then to I convinced her to hop on a plane and come to a little convention in Birmingham so I could actually hug her neck. What a wonderful place this crazy internet is right. Her blog is all about sweet treats for two, scaled back versions so I don’t have to feel bad when I make something of hers and eat it all in one sitting. Don’t judge! Oh yes she’s also blessed with an insanely awesome metabolism and can eat all those sweets in one sitting. I am not ; ) I’m also trying hard to get her back to the right coast but that’s another story.. Now onto this amazing Nutella Eclair Cake. I ooooohed when I saw this come through and I think you will too… Grab your forks, you’re going to want to make this xoxo – Paula
Well hello there, sweet friends! Or should I say fellow Nutella fanatics? I’m so happy to be here today sharing a Nutella dessert with y’all.
Have y’all ever heard of Éclair cake? In its most simple form, it consists of vanilla pudding layered between graham crackers with a chocolate glaze on top. As the dessert rests in the fridge, the pudding softens the graham crackers and the final product has a decidedly éclair-like flavor. It’s an old recipe but a good one. Well, today, I’ve gussied it up a bit for you: Instead of ordinary vanilla pudding, I’m going to share with you a vanilla bean Frangelico pastry cream. And instead of plain graham crackers, we’re going to smear Nutella between each graham cracker. Sound good? Oh yes, I think so, too!
Now would be a good time to mention that my desserts serve only two people. It’s kinda my thing, y’all, if you couldn’t already tell from my blog name. I love to bake petite desserts that can be shared with someone sweet. This recipe is made in a regular 9” x 5”x 3” bread loaf pan. To serve, simply slice it down the middle and scoop it out.
I should mention that this would be a fabulous dessert for upcoming Valentine’s Day! You can make it 1 or 2 days in advance and let it sit in the fridge. So easy and impressive!
Nutella Éclair Cake – recipe and photo compliments of Christina, Dessert For Two
What you’ll need:
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
1/2 of 1 vanilla bean
1/4 cup Frangelico (hazelnut liquor), divided use
12 graham crackers
12 tablespoons Nutella (plus extra for garnish)
Cocoa powder for garnish
What to do:
1. Have ready a 9” x 5” x 3” loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, corn starch and salt. Slowly stir in the milk, whisking vigorously to ensure lumps do not form. Add the cream slowly and continue whisking. Pour into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and turn the heat on medium low. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the pot (you can toss in the empty pod for extra flavor too, if you wish). Cook while continuously stirring and scraping the sides of the pan to ensure no lumps form. When the mixture starts to coat the back of a spoon (but before it boils), turn off the heat.
3. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolks. Ladle a few tablespoons of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks while whisking. Once incorporated, add a few more tablespoons and stir again. You are tempering the yolks, or slowly bringing them up to the same temperature as the hot cream.
4. Next, pour the egg yolk mixture into the pan and turn the heat back on medium low. Cook again while continuously stirring and scraping the sides. When the mixture starts to bubble, turn off the heat, and stir in 1 tablespoon of Frangelico. Pour the mixture into a bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill for at least 5 hours.
5. The day before you plan on serving the dessert, begin your layering process. Have ready your loaf pan, Nutella, Frangelico, chilled pastry cream, and graham crackers. First, ladle 1/2 cup of the pastry cream on the bottom of the loaf pan. Then, take 2 graham crackers and spread 2 tablespoons of Nutella on each. Top each Nutella-coated graham cracker with a plain graham cracker to make sandwiches. Layer these on top of the pastry cream, breaking them as you need to in order to fit them in 1 layer. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of Frangelico on top. Repeat this process 2 more times while scooping pastry cream between each layer. You will have a total of 3 layers. Scoop the remaining pastry cream on top, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving. Garnish your plate with extra Nutella and cocoa powder before serving, if desired.
Thanks again to Christina for stopping by with this ridiculously delicious Nutella Eclair Cake! Be sure to…
Visit Christina’s blog, Dessert for Two
Follow Christina on Twitter
Like Christina on Facebook
Are you ready for another tasty treat? Up today my sweet friend Chris from Mele Cotte is popping over with these gluten free hazelnut cupcakes with an insanely delicious looking Nutella Buttercream. She’s even given us an optional Ganache topping recipe because she’s sweet like that! I met Chris online forevah ago and just lurve her. I saw her blog name – Mele Cotte (which means baked apples in Italian) and of course I had to click through…once I was there I was smitten with all of her delicious recipes but especially her SWEETS. You know I have a wicked sweet tooth and I’ve always admired those who are talented in the baking department. Chris is definitely talented and I’m THRILLED that she is sharing one of her amazing desserts with all of US today! – Paula
It has been a pleasure knowing Paula for several years now. We may not talk often, but when we do, it is as though she and I pick up right where we ended our last conversation. One of the most hardworking, lively, and authentic ladies I know, I wish we lived closer. My, my, my, the wonderfully delicious trouble we could cause.
Since we are unable to be neighbors, I can’t won’t say no any opportunities to contribute to her delicious world of Nutella. Hazelnuts have their own special location in my family’s pantry for as far back as I can remember. While other kids in the neighborhood snacked on peanuts, my brother, sisters and I nibbled on hazelnuts. On special occasions, when friends and extended family joined us for a meal, mom would roast large amounts of the shelled nuts for us to crack and eat as the dinner conversations extended late into the evening. Looking back, there was something so therapeutic about cracking those nuts, giggling at silly jokes, and carrying on without a worry in the world.
Interestingly, and despite being Italian, Nutella didn’t become a staple in my home until I was an adult. My delayed admiration for Nutella’s creamy goodness grew to insane levels after just one taste. One spoonful is all it took to ensure Nutella is always available in the house. Since that spoonful and spreading a smear on a slice of bread and chomping down, Nutella has shown its face in treats like tarts, molten cakes, cookies and mousse. Now, it is accompanying delicious gluten free cakes.
When I first made this gluten free cake, I doubled the recipe to make four-layer cake with ganache coated nutella buttercream. Sadly, I am not a great photographer of cakes.
So, I tried again. This time, I went with cupcakes. Worried that my novice photography skills would diminish the true, moist deliciousness of these cupcakes, I called upon a close friend to capture their essence.
These are now my go-to cupcakes, for all my friends, gluten-free or not.
Hazelnut Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream (Gluten Free) – recipe and photos compliments of Chris, Mele Cotte
What you’ll need:
¾ cup hazelnuts
½ cup brown rice flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tsp. baking powder
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs
¼ cup Frangelico (optional)
chopped hazelnuts for garnish (optional)
What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with preferred paper liners.
2. Place the hazelnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until ground. Add rice flour, cornstarch and baking powder and grind to a fine meal. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Pour in Frangelico and mix until incorporated. Add hazelnut-flour mixture and blend on low. Batter will be thin/loose .
3. Using a small-medium scoop, fill cupcake liners, no more than ¾ full. Bake 18-22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway cooking time, until the cake springs back to a light touch and a toothpick comes out almost clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, decorate with buttercream and ganache, if preferred. Be sure to refrigerate the cupcakes while making the ganache to harden the buttercream for dipping. Once ready, dip the top of each buttercream-topped cupcake in the ganache, twist, lift, and place on a wire rack. Top with hazelnuts.
Cook’s Notes:
- Batter can be used for an 8-inch round cake, cake as well. Increase baking time to 25 to 35 minutes.
Nutella Buttercream
What you’ll need:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 13-ounce jar of Nutella
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. Frangelico (optional)
1½ (6 cups) pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
What to do:
1. Cream together butter and Nutella until smooth. Add vanilla. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, until incorporated.
* Adjust the consistency by Frangelico (or cream/milk if not using Frangelico)
Ganache
What you’ll need:
¾ cup heavy cream
8 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
What to do:
1. Place chocolate and butter in a large bowl; set aside. In a saucepan, heat cream until it begins to bubble around the edges. Remove cream from heat and pour over the chips. Let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the vanilla until well blended.
If not using right away, cover with plastic and allow to cool at room temperature, or in the refrigerator.
Thanks again to Chris for stopping by with these tasty gluten free Hazelnut Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream! Be sure to…
Visit Chris’ blog, Mele Cotte
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You are in for a TREAT today! My sweet friend Amelia from Z Tasty Life is stopping by with her homemade Nutella BACI chocolates! Amelia and I met through our blogs and I feel incredibly lucky to call her my friend. She’s a gifted writer (you’d never know English was her second language), photographer and cook. She’s as gorgeous on the inside as she is on the outside. Matter of fact if she wasn’t so favolosa it’d be really easy to dislike her ; ) Have I mentioned that Baci chocolates are one of my most favorite chocolates on the planet? They are and I couldn’t be happier she made this to share with all of us.
Home-made “Baci”
I admire Paula’s energy and her love for Italian food. I follow her blog, Bellalimento, regularly for week-night Italian inspiration, so when she asked me to guest post on her new endeavor, BellaNutella, I said: ma certo, of course!
When I was over in Italy over the holidays I ate way too many chocolate “Baci”. These hazelnut and chocolate “kisses” are packaged individually in a starry silver wrapper and come with a love quote. They are every Italian lovers’ favorite gift but they are wonderful at every occasion.
Since St. Valentine day is approaching I thought of re-creating them at home…with Nutella!… so I could include a personalized love note.
There are only 4 ingredients in this recipe and they are so easy to make even a novice can attempt them, so they can spend most of the time writing the love letter…
Much love, and lots of “baci”,
Amelia
Homemade Nutella Baci – Makes 20 “Baci” (recipe doubles easily)
What you’ll need:
100 gr. (~1 cup) whole hazelnuts
Half of a 13 oz. (375 gr.) Nutella jar = about 7 oz. (200 gr., about 1 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup (40 gr.) unsweetened cocoa powder
6 oz. (160 gr.) good quality dark chocolate
What to do:
1. Place 20 whole hazelnuts aside.
2. Chop the rest of hazelnuts into “granella” (small pieces) and place in a bowl with the Nutella and cocoa powder. Mix well until incorporate it to form a smooth dough. You can use a blender but I prefer a fork and my hands.
3. Form 20 balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place a whole hazelnut in the middle of every ball.
4. Place the sheet in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes (or a few hours in the refrigerator).
5. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave (a minute or two on high, stirring in between)
6. Dip the chilled “baci” into melted chocolate, using two small forks then place them again on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Allow them to dry a few minutes. Wrap as desired and accompany with a love note.
NOTE: I packaged my “baci” in a white window-box and marked them with blue stars. Then I created a small love note and rolled it inside the box. You can be as creative in your writing as you wish!
Thanks again to Amelia for stopping by with these delicious homemade Nutella BACI chocolates!
Photo Credits: Olga Berman, Mango Tomato
Today we’re thrilled to introduce our FIRST Guest Poster on bella nutella. Our friend, Olga from Mango Tomato has put together a special Nutella treat and she can’t wait to tell you all about it and her love for Nutella!
I don’t remember the first time I’ve tasted Nutella, but it must have been sometime after my family moved from Russia to the USA. This means I was deprived of Nutella for the first thirteen years of my life. Somehow I’m going to have to forgive my parents for this.
Since then, I’ve enjoyed Nutella in the US, while on vacation in Puerto Rico, and one of my favorite moments of my trip to Paris was eating a Nutella-filled crepe from a street cart. It was the best treat during the cold winter month.
One of my friends asked me how do I eat Nutella. I was dumbfounded: what kind of a question is that? I eat Nutella on a spoon: straight up! Or spread on bread, or with apples, or slices of oranges; the possibilities are endless. When Paula asked me to share a recipe with Nutella with everyone on Bella Nutella, I knew right away what it would be. I love spreading Nutella on white bread, adding thin slices of a Granny Smith apple and toasted walnuts. But for Paula, I had to step it up a notch. I used the same ingredients, but turned them into a Nutella Panini with Granny Smith Apples and Toasted Walnuts!
Enjoy!
Ingredients for 1:
2 slices of Italian or French bread
1-2 tablespoons of Nutella
1/4 Granny Smith apple, sliced
1-2 tablespoons toasted walnuts
Directions:
1. Spread Nutella on both slices of bread. Top one slice with apples, another with walnuts. Put them together.
2. Butter your panini maker and cook the panini for about 5 minutes. {If you don’t have a panini maker, cook the sandwich on your stove.}
Thanks again to Olga for stopping by with her delicious Panino!
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