Nutella-Coconut Hot Chocolate

Happy World Nutella Day 2011 everyone! I can't remember the first time that I had nutella- it was a long time ago, maybe when I took French in middle school. Did you all know that Nutella is French? I remember my French teacher talking about nutella a lot back then. Anyway, today is a day to make something with Nutella in order to celebrate how awesome it is! I've baked with nutella before, but today I decided to keep it simple. I made hot chocolate using coconut milk and stirred in some nutella and then topped it off with toasted coconut. I love nutella and coconut together! It's been so rainy, icy and just plain dreary outside that it's the perfect kind of day to snuggle up on your couch with some nutella hot chocolate!

Here's the very simple, 3 ingredient recipe:

1 cup of coconut milk
1 heaping tablespoon of Nutella
1 tablespoon toasted coconut

Heat the coconut milk on the stove or in the microwave until hot. Stir in the nutella until melted and top with toasted coconut.

Enjoy! Head on over to World Nutella Day, created by Ms Adventures in Italy and Bleeding Espresso to see other recipes made using nutella!



Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

'Tis the holiday season and fudge is definitely a staple this time of year. I've made different fudge recipes in the past, but this is a new recipe for me. Fudge AND Nutella? I'm sold! I can't even describe how much I love Nutella. This fudge recipe was so easy to make- a one bowl recipe and it took about 10 minutes to come together. I made a half batch and I will probably eat it all up myself. I love the sea salt sprinkles on top!

The recipe:
(slightly adapted from Cookin' Canuck, which she adapted from a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe)

This is the recipe for a half-batch. The link above has the full recipe.

1/2 of a 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup Nutella
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
Sea salt for sprinkling over the fudge

Line a loaf pan with foil or parchment paper. Heat a pot of water to simmering.

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

Make a double boiler by setting the bowl on the pot of simmering water. The water should not be touching the bottom of the bowl. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, 5 to 7 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, spread the top smooth with a spatula, and sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, until the fudge is firm.

Run a knife under hot water, dry it off, and run it around the edges of the pan to loosen the fudge. Lift the fudge out of the pan using the foil. Peel off the foil. Cut the fudge into 3/4-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil.

Enjoy! I can't wait to bake more holiday recipes, especially lots of different cookies!

BAKED Sunday Mornings: Nutella Scones

Hello, this is the first recipe chosen from Baked Explorations for the BAKED Sunday Mornings baking group. This is the first baking group I've joined and I'm excited! I went to BAKED in Brooklyn once and I loved it. The whole cookbook looks amazing and I'm excited to try out recipes that I usually wouldn't, either because an ingredient doesn't appeal to me or because it looks intimidating. Now, with the baking group, I'll have to try new things, and I'm pretty sure I'll end up liking it all!

Unfortunately, I didn't have any hazelnuts to include in the recipe. I first made these scones a month or so ago and didn't have hazelnuts then either, and the recipe still turns out amazing! I love nutella (who doesn't?) and the flavor really comes through on this recipe!

This recipe is so easy to make, it really took me about 10 minutes to get together. I made a half batch because I didn't want any to go to waste (although I probably could have eaten almost a whole batch by myself!)

This is before I cut in the butter

The dough all patted out and spread with Nutella (did you notice my awesome Starry Night cutting board??)

The scones out of the oven and freshly drizzled. Unfortunately, my drizzling skills leave something to be desired...Oh well, I'll just have to practice!

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Head on over to bakedsundaymornings to see how everyone else's turned out and to get the recipe!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

I knew I had to make these cupcakes after seeing them on Cake, Batter, and Bowl recently. I love pumpkin and I love nutella. A few weeks ago I made pumpkin nutella quickbread and the combination was delicious! As I usually do, I halved the recipe and brought the cupcakes to work to share with my co-workers. I think they liked them!

Here's my adapted recipe:

For the cupcakes:
7.5 ounces pumpkin puree
3/4 cup + 2 table spoons flour
2 table spoons cornstarch
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:
2 ounces softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons Nutella
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Simmer the pumpkin puree in a small nonstick pan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until reduced to 1/2 cup. Let pumpkin cool while you mix together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until creamed. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Slowly mix in half the flour mixture then the buttermilk and then the rest of the flour mixture. Line cupcake pans with liners and use an ice cream scoop to fill the liners with the batter. Bake cupcakes for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack. Cool for 20 minutes or until cupcakes are room temperature.

To make the frosting, mix together the cream cheese, nutella and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl until smooth. Frost the cooled cupcakes. This made 9 cupcakes for me.