Step #1: Leftover chocolate granola + chocolate hazelnut spread (from the bottom of the jar) + oil
Combine until it is somewhat sticky and press into a pizza pan lined with plastic wrap. Chill until firm.
Step #2: Frozen mixed berries + bittersweet chocolate
Defrost a bowlful of frozen mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries) until they are soft and have released liquid. Stir in a few chunks of bittersweet chocolate and stir until melted, smooth, and mixture is slightly thickened. Spread over base, leave an edge, is desired.
Step #3: Leftover brittle
Find some leftover nut brittle (pistachio and candied ginger), crush it, and sprinkle it on top.
Serve now or chill until firm!
Here is how to make a really easy, yet really tasty and chocolaty dessert using only leftovers scrounged up from around the house and only one bowl! No expensive ingredients, and no big kitchen clean-ups required!!
Quick Nutella Brownie In A Mug
1/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/8 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 cup oil
pinch salt
splash vanilla extract
1 large scoop nutella (definition of 'large' is at your discretion)
Mix all ingredients together well, spoon into a greased microwave-safe mug, and microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 90 seconds or until cake if firm.Top with another large scoop of nutella.
VERY IMPORTANT: Try to let it cool before serving!!! It will be hard to resist but it will also be extremely hot.
I made homemade vegan nutella once. But it didn't turn out quite as I had wanted it to. It was tasty, but not as smooth and decadent as commercial nutella. I decided to try again
I first processed toasted (peeled) hazelnuts in my food processor to form a smooth hazelnut butter. This did not take as long as I had anticipated because hazelnuts are a fairly oily nut. I did this as a separate step to make the finished butter more smooth and less gritty. I set that aside, then cooked some dates in water until they were very soft (if you have good, fresh dates, this step may optional). Then I puréed these separately to form a date paste. I then combined the two together in my food processor, adding some unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, coconut milk, and melted coconut butter so added smoothness, flavor and to thin. Process until smooth, and enjoy!
The hazelnut to date ration depends upon how sweet you would like your nutella. If you prefer a sweeter, more decadent nutella, use a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup, agave, or glucose. Melted chocolate also makes for a more decadent nutella, though keep in mind these options will make the nutella less of a nutritious, vitamin-rich nut butter and more of an occasional dessert. You can use any type of milk, and omit the coconut butter or use your favorite oil.
This is a much more nutritious version of the commercial nutella - which is very high in sugar and fat. This spread can be used just as much as any natural nut butter, and contains a pleasing hint of chocolate!
Happy World Nutella Day 2016! In past years, I have gone all out making multiple nutella-based treats. Sometimes I just go on nutella sprees and make nutella goodies throughout the year. If you type 'nutella' into the search bar of my blog, you will find many, many recipes and creations!
Nutella, the delicious chocolate hazelnut spread that goes well with nearly any sweet thing, deserves to have its very own day to celebrate it. In case you are wondering, no, commercial nutella is not vegan, but it is very easy to make homemade vegan versions. I even made one here: http://bexysbakingblog.blogspot.ca/2014/02/homemade-vegan-nutella.html. You can also buy vegan versions. For world nutella day this year, I made these chocolate hazelnut bars. They are not made with actual nutella, but rather are made with the ingredients of nutella; chocolate and hazelnuts. This saves a step of making your own nutella, and also makes these bars vegan, gluten-free, and delicious!
Ferrero Rocher Bars
2 cups ground hazelnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup maple syrup reduction
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan caramel sauce
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x13 inch rectangular pan with parchment paper. Mix together the first five ingredients together well. Pour into the pan. Drizzle the caramel sauce over top. Sprinkle with the nuts and salt. Bake for about 30 minutes. The middle will still seem almost runny, but the edges will begin to look set. Do not try to cut these until they cool completely. I stuck my pan in the freezer before cutting to firm them up.
These squares turned out quite ooey gooey and sticky, but I LOVED the taste. My taste testers told me the taste just like those delicious Ferrero Rocher (chocolate hazelnut) chocolates, and I agree! A disclaimer: I came up with these bars on a whim, and really didn't measure ingredients. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the success of this recipe - it's really just estimates. Sometimes random experiments turn out the best, if you can get them to work out!!!
Well, this post concludes my week's worth of Nutella breakfast posts. This is not a breakfast post, well, I didn't intend it to be one, but who am I to judge what people should and should not eat for breakfast? This was simply a small sweet treat I made which also incorporated nutella. They are nutella cake truffles. Cake truffles are not completely smooth and rich like typical chocolate truffles, usually made from simple mixtures such as chocolate and whipping cream and flavored as desired. Rather cake truffles have a slightly different texture and don't tend to be quite so rich - so you can eat more of them in one sitting. Cake truffles are as simple as they sound - cake rolled into truffles. You can simply use a piece of cake and just roll it up, but alternate methods are to use leftover cake pieces or cake crumbs and combine them with enough icing to stick into round balls. This gives soft, cake-like truffles that taste much like the cake from which they were made.
To make these truffles, I simply took one piece of chocolate cake with a mocha icing. I added a heaping spoonful of nutella, then rolled the mixture into six round truffles. This was pretty messy, as the truffles were softer than most cake truffles because I added lots of nutella instead of just using the frosting. An alternate method to make nutella truffles is to use nutella cake and/or nutella frosting if you have it on hand. Either way, cake truffles are easy, fool-proof, a good way to make use of leftover cake, and delicious - especially nutella-flavored!
Here is the most chocolaty and decadent of my nutella breakfasts, and perhaps the most filling and satisfying as well.
Easiest Nutella Cupcakes
1/2 cup Nutella
1 large egg
5 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
Nutella for filling
In a small bowl, mix together the nutella, egg, and flour until well combined. Spread half of the batter into a large mug or ramekin, greasing it makes it slightly easier to remove the cupcake, but it may also be eaten directly from the dish. Place a dollop of nutella in the center of the batter. Spread remaining batter over top. At this point you can cook it immediately or place it in the fridge overnight if you want to do advance preparation. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes until firm. Top with more nutella. Best when served warm, but can be cooled and removed from the mug for later.
Overnight Nutella Oatmeal
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon hazelnuts
1 Tablespoon chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon nutella
3/4 cup milk
additional nutella, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips
In a small bowl or mug, stir together the oats, cocoa, nuts, and chips. Stir in the nutella and milk. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, enjoy cold or heat in the microwave. Garnish as desired.
The fourth nutella breakfast. This one ended up making a smaller batch than I had thought, so I would suggest using more oats, using more milk for a thinner, but more filling bowl of oatmeal, or bulking up and enriching the oatmeal with a little ground flax seed or wheat germ. This breakfast can also be prepared the night before, and enjoyed warm or cold.
Nutella French Toast Towers
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 slices baguette (preferably not fresh)
Nutella
fruit and hazelnuts, to garnish
In a small, shallow dish, beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla. Place the bread slices in, let sit for 30 seconds, then flip. Ensure bread is well-soaked, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The bread will absorb nearly all the liquid overnight.
In the morning, heat a little oil in a small frying pan. Fry the baguette slices a few minutes per side until crisp and golden. Sandwich two pieces together with nutella, and garnish with fruit and hazelnuts.
The third nutella, individual-serving warm breakfast idea!
Chocolate Nutella Pancake Stacks
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
1/3 cup milk
2 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nutella
fruit
hazelnuts
Heat a little oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.
Add the milk, oil, and vanilla to the well and mix until smooth. Drop small spoonfuls of batter into the frying pan (in batches if needed) and cook for a minute or two per side until firm.
Assemble the stacks by sandwiching four pancakes together with plenty of nutella between the layers. Garnish with fresh fruit and hazelnuts. Makes two stacks or eight miniature pancakes. Alternately you could make one large pancake and spread it with nutella, fruit, and hazelnuts.
Here is the second nutella breakfast addition. This makes one serving of pancakes - so you can make a hot breakfast just for yourself or for a loved one. You can make either the batter or the pancakes in advance and cook or reheat them in the morning.
Here is the first addition to the week's worth of Nutella breakfasts. This is a warm and decadent breakfast bread pudding. Throw it together the night before, then just pop it in the microwave in the morning and enjoy a warm breakfast in just a couple of minutes. You can make this as chocolaty as you wish, using as much Nutella as you would like. I don't really measure the ingredients, just eyeball them. If you make a really chocolaty version, feel free to enjoy it for dessert instead!
Individual Nutella Bread Pudding
4-6 slices white baguette (preferably not fresh), depending on size
hazelnuts
dark chocolate chips
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch ground cinnamon
1/4 cup Nutella
Tear the baguette into bite-sized pieces. Place in a mug and mix in as many hazelnuts and chocolate chips as you would like.
In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk, cocoa, cinnamon, and half of the Nutella. Pour over bread. Refrigerate overnight.
To serve: top with remaining Nutella, then heat in the microwave on high (100% power) for about two minutes until firm and warm.
Nutella - a smooth, decadent chocolate hazelnut spread. It is marketed as being "part of a nutritious breakfast'", but then again, what breakfast product isn't these days? Anything can be 'part' of a nutritious breakfast as long as the rest of the breakfast is balanced and nutritious and you don't binge on that item. That being said, Nutella isn't terrible - nuts are very nutritious, being naturally high in protein, fiber, and vitamins. They are however high in calories and fat (the good fats), especially concentrated nut butters. Natural nut butters with no additives are great breakfast spreads, and Nutella is full of Vitamin E rich hazelnuts. It also contains a touch of cocoa for added decadence and skim milk powder. Of course it also has added oil and sugar, which makes it not so good. But that doesn't stop me from incorporating it into my breakfasts.
This week I will be posting a week's worth of breakfasts with one common ingredient - Nutella. These have Nutella as the main ingredient - not just spread on the top. There are so many great ways to enjoy Nutella - here are a few ideas.
For today, this is not a breakfast per se (although it could be I suppose), but a quick Nutella idea. Gently warm a brownie in the microwave, then spread it with Nutella. Top it with a little ice cream or whipped cream if desired, then more Nutella.
What goes better with Valentine's Day than chocolate? And of course some fresh red berries are nice too. This is the Valentine's Day dessert I made this year for my valentine. All of my valentine desserts, as least from the past three years, seem to rely heavily on chocolate, include fresh berries, and feature hearts.
This year's dessert is quite simple - a recipe isn't even required - yet it looks pretty and elegant and seems special. First I made chocolate cups - this is done by melting a good-quality chocolate and using a pastry brush to brush it on the inside of paper muffin cups, then chilling until firm. You may need to apply several coats for structure, I did three coats and used dark chocolate. Then I piped the cups full of nutella, or chocolate hazelnut spread, which I seem to like to use quite a bit lately. I guess I didn't get a good enough dose of nutella on World Nutella Day last week. It's just a great all-purpose chocolaty spread, but alternately chocolate mousse or chocolate pudding could be used instead. Next I placed fresh raspberries and blackberries on top (as strawberries are so expensive and tasteless at this time). I gently heated some raspberry jam and brushed it over the fruit to perserve them and add sweetness and shine. Then I sprinkled the cups with some finely chopped nuts for a little crunch, and added some white chocolate heart decor.
The idea for this dessert is simple and can be used to make a wide variety of different dessert possibilities - use any type of chocolate for the cups; any type of mousse, pudding, custard, yogurt, or preserves for the filling; and any type of fruits and nuts for the topping. You may also garnish with whipped cream, icing sugar, or a caramel drizzle.
To finish up this year's World Nutella Day recipes, here is one more treat. I didn't actually make this one for World Nutella Day, but it is something I made recently, eyeing that full jar of nutella in my cupboard and the full container of vanilla ice cream in the freezer. It may be the middle of winter, but following a long, busy day of moving, I was warm, thirsty, and craving a cool, chocolaty treat. These are simple sundaes - mostly vanilla ice cream topped with nutella as a chocolate sauce. I find nutella spread is fairly thin in order to allow spreading on soft breads. On the contrary, nutella sold in countries such as Germany, France, and Spain is slightly more solid, since hard, crusty bread is more prevalent in these regions. The tastes are relatively the same. If desired, you can microwave the nutella briefly to thin it out a bit and make it more of a hot fudge sauce.
This sundae also has some color from some sprinkles, creating the 'funfetti' effect.
This bottom sundae is more my style - vanilla ice cream with a chocolate brownie with chocolate ganache, along with nutella piled on top of that. If only the ice cream was chocolate (or death by chocolate, or even nutella) as well...
Nutella Biscotti Sandwiches
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup Nutella
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
In a medium bowl, mix together the flax and water. Let sit for a few minutes. Beat in the oil, sugar, Nutella, and vanilla. Stir in the flours and baking powder. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 12 inches long and 3 inches wide.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the dough on the sheet and bake and chill for 20 minutes. Bake at 375◦F for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool until cool enough to handle, then cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place cut-side up on baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, flip over and bake 5-10 minutes more, until crisp and dry. Cool, then sandwich together with Nutella.
Biscotti are crisp, twice-baked cookies just made for dunking. With this Nutella version, they are best dunked in a coffee or espresso, a chocolate tea, or hot chocolate - the Nutella will melt into it and make a double hot chocolate. Chocolate or regular milk would work as well, though hot beverages are best. This was another addition to my World Nutella Day spread!
Happy World Nutella Day 2015!! As you may have figured out by now, I am kind of a big fan of Nutella (chocolate and hazelnuts in spreadable form, need I say more). I particularly like to bake with it, and so every year I make several treats for the occasion. Just type "nutella" into the search bar of my blog, and you'll find entries from the last few years, as well as a number of Nutella creations I have made throughout the year.
Miniature Nutella Croissants
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup cold cubed butter
1/2 cup milk
Nutella
melted butter
more Nutella
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Stir in the milk to form a soft dough, knead just until it comes together. Roll to a 1/4 inch think circle. Cut into eight triangular-shaped wedges. Spread each with Nutella, then roll up from straight edge to form a crescent. Don't be skimpy with the Nutella, but don't overfill or it will just ooze out in baking. Spread it evenly all over the dough. Freeze for at least one hour before baking.
Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 425◦F for about 15 minutes until golden. Brush immediately with melted butter. Once cool, heat a little Nutella and a small amount of butter until slightly thinned, but do not overheat or it will seize up. Drizzle over the croissants.
Ok, so these are not authentic croissants. Croissant-making is a long and tedious process. This is a biscuit dough, but it is still rich and buttery and looks like a croissant. Plus with all that Nutella in there, you won't notice the difference, except maybe the flakiness. These are great warm, especially for breakfast, but are even better when spread with more chocolate!
Tomorrow is World Nutella Day once again, and I have been preparing for it. Here is a sneak peek. Three ingredients, one delicious, chocolate-hazelnut taste. What could be easier? Top in so many ways - with additional Nutella, frosting, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, etc. You'll be enjoying a second one in less than an hour - one batch isn't enough. These are so fudgey and chocolaty, you won't believe how simple they are!
Easiest Nutella Cupcakes
1/2 cup Nutella
5 Tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
1 large egg
Nutella for filling
garnish, if desired (note: this will make this a four ingredient recipe)
I topped mine with little fudge brownie pieces
Mix all together well, then scoop half the batter into greased or lined muffin cups. Place a dollop (about 1/2 teaspoon) of Nutella in the middle of each. Cover with remaining batter. Top as desired. Bake at 350◦F for 20-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted in a section without Nutella filling will come out somewhat fudgey, but do not overbake as they firm up upon cooling and will become too firm. These are really good but also really messy warm. This is a really small batch and makes about 5-6 regular-sized cupcakes. You could make these into miniature cupcakes if desired, and decrease the baking time.
I drizzled mine with a little extra Nutella.
What if I told you you can have an amazing, warm, decadent breakfast (in bed) ready in just a few minutes? Well, of course it depends on having fresh bread made, but as a little secret, I will let you know that you can use bread from the freezer than has been thawed or a good quality sweet bread (not a sandwich loaf) from a bakery or store.
Here, I used a Hawaiian sweet bread, which is a round loaf with slits cut all around the outside of the ring to separate it. I cut the loaf in half for a smaller portion, then cut each rectangle horizontally to create a pocket or opening. I spread all of these openings filled with Nutella - sinful chocolate hazelnut spread. Then I wrapped the bread in foil and refrigerated overnight (optional, but convenient if you want to have everything ready to go in the morning, not that it takes long to prepare). In the morning, I popped the entire foil-wrapped package in the oven at 350◦F for about ten minutes or so until the bread was warm and slightly crisp. I then brushed the warm loaf with a little butter for shine, and served it spread with extra Nutella to go around! Quick and nothing fancy, but definitely a hit, and something a little special for breakfast. Round the meal out with some fresh fruit and a tall glass of milk.
This is not a traditional truffle recipe, but it is a really quick and even nutritious truffle recipe. It uses ingredients with natural sugars and healthy fats. Although these are not the smooth, melt-in-your-mouth type truffles, they have a bit of texture and are more like decadent energy bites. I call them Nutella inspired, because the chocolate and hazelnut flavors are reminiscent of Nutella. I used frozen strawberry halves as a surprise center, though almost anything could be used or you can leave them without a center.
Nutella Inspired Truffles
1 cup whole hazelnuts
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup dates
pinch salt
strawberry halves (fresh or frozen), or desired filling
Process all ingredients in a food processor until well combined - hazelnuts should be ground and dates should be puréed so they are basically undetectable but hold the mixture together. Taste and add a little more salt, or you can add a sweetener if you wish though the dates do provide sufficient sweetness. Add a touch of cinnamon or vanilla extract if desired.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for a few hours until firm enough to roll into balls without crumbling.
Roll into balls, placing a strawberry half or desired filling in the middle, then rolling to encase it. Refrigerate again until firm. At this point the truffles can then be dipped in chocolate for added decadence, or just served with chocolate shavings on the side.
Variations are endless and go as follows:
Nuts: almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, coconuts, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts
Fruit: raisins, dried cranberries, cherries, prunes, figs
Filling: small pieces of fresh, frozen, or dried fruits; whole nuts, chocolate pieces; cookie pieces; jams, preserves, or dessert sauces
Flavorings: cinnamon, ginger, vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon extract, ground coffee
Nutella Milkshakes
1 large frozen banana
heaping 1/4 cup Nutella (regular or homemade)
1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon skim milk powder (optional)
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
about 2 Tablespoons honey, optional (not needed if commercial Nutella is used)
1/2 -1 cup almond milk (depending on how thick you would like it)
Blend all together in a blender until smooth. Makes two servings.
This is my final entry for my Nutella Day posts. I don't post many drink recipes on here, but you definitely need a Nutella drink to go with all the Nutella sweets. I used my own homemade Nutella for this too, which worked well, but I did add a little honey for some sweetness. If the milk powder is left out and a different sweetener is used, these milkshakes could be vegan. Otherwise, regular milk may be used as well as soy milk or whatever type you would like. Use ice cream for something really decadent. This could be classified as either a milkshake or a smoothie, depending on how thick you make it. I recommend using a frozen banana for the best texture and to keep it colder.
This is a very healthy recipe and also quite satisfying. Following this exact recipe, it contains about ten grams of protein per serving! Almond milk is actually very low in protein, so using soy or cow's milk instead would actually increase the amount of protein further.
No-Bake Nutella Oaties
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup homemade or regular Nutella
1 1/2 cups oats (I used old-fashioned, but for a less chewy texture use rolled)
In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar, oil, and milk and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes. Stir in the Nutella until melted, then the oats until coated. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill until set. Makes as many or as few as you want, depending on size. This makes about 16 tablespoonfuls of dough. Can be doubled or halved.
This is an extremely quick, easy, adaptable, forgivable recipe, that is vegan if you use homemade vegan Nutella and gluten free if you use gluten free oats. They are also fairly healthy, very tasty, and addictive. Whole oats are more nutritious, and I like the chewier texture but if you don't use rolled oats. Feel free to add some coconut, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.
Combine until it is somewhat sticky and press into a pizza pan lined with plastic wrap. Chill until firm.
Find some leftover nut brittle (pistachio and candied ginger), crush it, and sprinkle it on top.
