homemade nutella

HAPPY WORLD NUTELLA DAY!!!

 {Store brand nutella}

The crowning glory of the week--making nutella at home!  It's so easy, and it was 100x better than the store bought nutella.  I used it in all the recipes that I featured this week, and it worked wonderfully.

 {homemade nutella}

 {the homemade version is darker than the store-bought, and I didn't add tons of sugar so it wasn't super sweet either}

Are you asking--where do I get hazelnuts?  If you are in the Lexington area, Good Foods Co-Op has them in their bulk food section.  Otherwise, I would call around to local stores and see if they carry them.

one year ago:  creamed corn

homemade nutella
adapted from smitten kitchen

makes 2 cups

2 cups shelled and raw hazelnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup powdered sugar (more if you prefer it sweeter)
1/4 teaspoon salt plus additional to taste
3 tablespoons grape seed oil

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Spread the hazelnuts evenly over a cookie sheet and roast until they darken, about 10 minutes, rattling them around a bit halfway through to they toast evenly.
3. Transfer the nuts to a food processor and grind them for about 5 minutes. First they’ll become a paste. Then they’ll become more of a paste and finally, they’ll liquefy. Scrape down the sides as needed. 
4. Add the cocoa, sugar, salt and two tablespoons of the oil to the food processor and continue to process until well blended, about 1 minute. Add more salt if needed. Add the last tablespoon of oil if the consistency seems too thick. 
5. Store in refrigerator up to a week in a covered container--if it lasts that long! 

If you want more nutella recipes, I made nutella banana ice cream and nutella cupcakes.  I grew up eating nutella on a piece of bread for breakfast or as a snack so that's how I love it best!  How do you like to eat nutella?

Pin It

no-bake nutella cookies

This is another ridiculously easy recipe involving nutella.  As with any other dessert I bring to work, these were gone in record time with unanimous agreement that they were delicious.  What can I say?  It's NUTELLA!!!

 {no-bake nutella cookies}

 {a closer look at the cookies}

One year ago: cajun garlic bread

no-bake nutella cookies
from feast and west

makes 24 cookies

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup nutella
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 to 3 1/2 cups dry, quick-cooking oats

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. 
2. Stir in sugar, milk and cocoa until combined.
3. Bring mixture to a rolling boil and hold for 1 minute, then remove from heat. 
4. Stir in peanut butter and nutella until melted and well combined. 
5. Add vanilla, then mix in oats one cup at a time. 
6. Drop tablespoons of batter onto wax paper and let cool entirely before eating. 
7. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

It's VERY important that the mixture boils for a solid minute or the cookies will not set; also make sure to add only amounts listed above because that will also cause them not to set.  Otherwise-EASY!

Do you like no-bake cookies?  I didn't really have them growing up, but I like them especially since you don't have to use a hot oven in the summer!  (I will definitely be making these this summer when I have a chocolate craving)

Pin It

nutella cinnamon rolls

To kick-off nutella week (because just one day is not enough!), I had to make a hard decision of which recipe to share first.  This was actually the last recipe I made, but I was so taken by it's ease that I wanted to share this first.  In fact, The Hubby demanded that I make them again last weekend because the first round, he didn't get enough (I took most of them to work).  I was only too happy to oblige since these were so gosh-darn-easy!

 {nutella cinnamon rolls}

 {nutella cinnamon rolls overview}

 {they were almost too pretty to eat!}

One year ago: parsley leaf potatoes
Two years ago:  rush hour pizza
 
Don't worry about the long instructions--I was just very detailed on how to make them!

nutella cinnamon rolls

makes 8 cinnamon rolls

1-8 count can refrigerated crescent rolls
2/3 cup nutella
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
splash of cream or milk, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. Spray a 9- or 10-inch pie plate or baking dish, or a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray; set aside.
3. Open the can of crescent rolls and carefully unwrap the dough. Arrange triangles or rectangles (if two triangles are stuck together) in one long row on clean counter or work surface. Press the seams together, overlapping them slightly to close any large gaps. 
4. Generously spread nutella in an even flat layer over the entire surface, leaving 1/4-inch margins around all borders. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon.
5. Starting with a short side, roll up the dough into a log, rolling the log as tightly as possible.
6. With a sharp knife (serrated works nicely), bench scraper, or unflavored dental floss (works nicely to pinch off pieces without compressing the dough log), slice log into 8 equal-sized pieces. I find the best way to do this is make a cut in the center, and then divide each half into fourths, rather than trying to eyeball eight pieces working from end to end. 
7. Place pieces in prepared pan, noting there will be gaps and spaces. 
8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until rolls have puffed and are just beginning to turn golden; don't over bake because these are meant to be gooey. 
9. While rolls bake, make the glaze by combining butter, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk to combine and until smooth; if desired, a splash of cream or milk may be added to help achieve desired glaze consistency. 
10. Rolls may be glazed immediately upon removing them from oven, resulting in glaze melting into the crevices; or glaze rolls after they've cooled a bit.
11. Serve immediately.

So please RUN to the store to get the things to make this because it will change the way you breakfast!

Do you like nutella?  Have you ever had it before?
 

Pin It

Nutella Cupcakes

I volunteered to make the wedding cupcakes for my brother's wedding last weekend.  He wanted Nutella Cupcakes, and so I used trusty Google to get some ideas, when I stumbled across Cannella Vita's version of the cupcakes.  They were so beautiful, I knew that I had to make them!

My family has an obsession with Nutella.  My brother and I have had it our entire lives, and we are only just now getting into Nutella-based desserts.  I blame it on my mom; she's not a baker.  That's okay because I am!  (Still love you mom!)

 {Nutella Cupcakes}

 {You use two (2)--yes really 2--full jars of Nutella!}

 {Use a melon baller or spoon, scoop out some of the cupcake center to make cupcake holes you can snack on while making these cupcakes!}

{Real world solution to only having two hands}

 {Nutella-filled cupcakes (left) topped with Nutella Buttercream Frosting (right)}

 {Drizzle with melted chocolate (left) and then top with a star of vanilla buttercream to keep the candy on top (right)}

 {Completed cupcakes and chocolate paper (left)!}

Note--I am not the best at frosting and decorating cakes so I was very nervous about what I got myself into, but it was much easier than I thought!  See the tutorial here!  I'm itching to make and frost more cupcakes LOL

{Tower of Nutella Cupcakes at the wedding}

Nutella Cupcakes
adapted from Cannella Vita

Makes 24 cupcakes

A double batch of chocolate cupcakes baked with yogurt
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
12 oz powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
pinch of salt
6-8 tablespoons heavy cream
2-13 oz jar Nutella
4 oz bar semi-sweet baking chocolate
12 Ferrero Rocher candies, cut in half

1. Bake cupcakes and allow to cool overnight before assembling.
2. Using a melon baller or small spoon, scoop out a small section from the top of the cupcakes.  Set aside for another use or as a snack.
3. Fill a piping bag with one whole jar of Nutella (yes seriously).
4. Fill the small sections of cupcakes with Nutella (about 1 teaspoon each cupcake).
5. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
6. Add powdered sugar in about 6 batches, making sure to whip frosting until smooth each time!  If it looks lumpy, I promise it will smooth out!
7. Add salt, vanilla, and about 3 tablespoons of heavy cream; beat carefully.
8. If you need to add more cream to get the desired consistency, please do so.  I wanted a firmer frosting so I used about 6 tablespoons.
9. Once you have the consistency, beat the frosting on high for another 5 minutes, or until smooth.
10. Set aside 1/3 of frosting; this will be vanilla buttercream.
11. Add the second jar (yes--the entire jar) to the remaining frosting and beat on high until combined, about 3 minutes.
12. Prepare a piping bag with a large round tip for the Nutella buttercream frosting.
13. Place cupcakes on wax paper, parchment paper, or cookie sheets (something easy to clean up!).
14. Carefully create the frosting base by piping in the center and spiraling outwards (tutorial coming next week!).
15. Melt baking chocolate in a microwave until smooth. 
16. Using a spoon, drizzle each frosted cupcake with chocolate.
17. Perpare a piping bag with a large star tip for the vanilla buttercream frosting.
18. Pipe a star over the melted chocolate.
19. Top each star with a halved candy.
20. Serve!

They are a bit of work, but everyone fawned over how delicious and beautiful they were!  Music to my ears!

Pin It