Whoopeee! It's World Nutella Day

February 5th is World Nutella Day (my favorite holiday) and this year I came up with a recipe that makes me say whoopee! every time I think about this Nutella filled, cakey little cookie that's slightly chewey and is a snap to make. I've decided to call these little darlings "Nutella Whoopie Pies".

Nutella Whoopie Pies

2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cups butter softened
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar for dusting
1 Jar (13 oz) Nutella

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In medium size bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, with hand mixer combine butter and sugar. Beat until smooth and airy (about 2-3 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla and mix, making sure to scrape down the edges of the bowl as you mix. When mixture is smooth, add half the dry ingredients and mix on low. Add the rest of the dry ingredients until dough is smooth. Don't over mix. And don't be surprised if the dough is sticky. It's supposed to be.

Form cookies into small balls about 1 inch to 1-1/4 inch. Place on baking sheets, flatten slightly with a spoon and bake 11 minutes. Cool on baking rack, then remove to paper or kitchen towels to finish cooling. You'll get approximately 40-42 cookies.

When cookies are cooled, take a big dollop of Nutella and place it on the flat side of a cooled cookie. Cover that mass of delicious chocolateness with another cookie.

Taste to see if it's decadent enough, and if not, add more Nutella.

Dust with Confectioners sugar and enjoy. You don't have to refrigerate these cookies. I think they're perfect when left at room temperature.

And don't just make these for World Nutella Day. They're perfect anytime.

Kudos to Michele and Sara

I'd like to offer a big thank you to Michele Fabio and Sara Rosso for orchestrating the enormous extravaganza called World Nutella Day. You ladies did a fabulous job. And because of you, the world is most definately a sweeter place. You've made it so easy for all of us Nutella fans to get our hands on some of the most creative, tasty recipes using our favorite chocolate hazelnut spread. And I know it wasn't easy. For those who didn't participate or are looking to get in on the fun, Sara and Michele have compiled oodles of Nutella recipes submitted by bloggers, writers and fans. Here are the roundup web sites:

www.bleedingespresso.com/2011/02/world-nutella-day-2011-roundup-part-2-html

www.msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/2011/02/07/world-nutella-day-2011-roundup-part-1/

I guarantee you'll find something that tickles your fancy. And by the way, these ladies write a whole lot more than Nutella recipes. Check them out and maybe learn a little Italian on the way. Thanks again ladies- it was fun to participate.

Go Bananas on World Nutella Day

World Nutella Day is February 5th, and in celebration of this festival for Nutella fans I postponed my diet and went bananas creating a recipe that would top my Nutella cookies. It's a Nutella banana bread that's almost rich enough to be called a cake, but you can still feel good about having it for breakfast. The recipe is a combination of an old family favorite and a mixing technique recommended by The Joy of Baking and other noteworthy bakers. You see, the secret to a tender banana bread is to fold the wet and dry ingredients together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and leave the hand mixer in the cupboard. The bread bakes up tender, moist and out-of-this-world. This recipe comes together quickly, bakes for about an hour and there's not a big clean up. Gobble it up warm or enjoy it at room temp.

Nutella Banana Bread
makes one 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf

Cooking spray
1 T flour for dusting loaf pan

1-3/4 cups flour (I used my Trinity Blend but AP flour works fine)
3/4 cups sugar (I used Splenda No Calorie)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 large ripe bananas mashed
1/2 cup Nutella
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare loaf pan with cooking spray and a light dusting of flour. Discard any flour that doesn't stick to the pan.

In large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. I use a big whisk.

In medium bowl combine mashed bananas, eggs, oil, vanilla and Nutella. You can use a hand mixer for this, but with a little elbow grease, a whisk works fine. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and don't over-mix. According to The Joy of Baking you do not want the batter to be smooth. It should be thick and chunky. Over mixing will make a tough, rubbery bread. Now fold in the mini chocolate chips, pour batter into prepared pan and bake on center oven rack for 55 to 60 minutes.

Place on wire rack to cool (about a half hour). Remove bread from pan and let cool until you can't wait any longer and have to cut a slice.

I think this bread would be great toasted. It could also be a pretty fabulous dessert with a dollop of whipped cream and a garnish of a few more mini chips. Thanks Nutella, and Happy 5th World Nutella Day.

Cookies with Attitude

I've dreamed about these cookies and finally made them this morning. They're really simple and quick and made with one of my favorite ingredients- Nutella. And when you take your first bite, the chocolatey chewiness, crunchy hazelnuts and ooey-gooey marshmallows put you in a place that says, "One is not enough". Plus the recipe works beautifully if you want to make a double batch. And I recommend you do just that.

Nutella Rocky Road Cookies

1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats gound in spice grinder
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar (I used Splenda)
1 egg
1 tsp hazelnut flavored ground coffee
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/3 cup mini marshmallows

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees
In medium size bowl add flours, ground oats, salt and baking soda. Stir with a whisk to incorporate. Set aside.
In large bowl cream butter and sugar with hand mixer about 2-3 minutes. Add egg, vanilla and ground coffee and mix another minute more. Add Nutella and continue to mix until all ingredients are combined. Add half of the flour mixture and mix to incorporate. Now add the rest of the flour and mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips, nuts and marshmallows and combine with a spatula. Form balls out of the batter that are about ping pong ball size. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake 9 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, and dig in. You won't be disappointed. This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Nutella-filled Chocolate Bites

I have been baking and enjoying Giada's chocolate hazelnut cookies for years. They're rich, chewy and chocolately. But apparently not rich and gooey enough for the mood I was in last weekend. So I did a slight re-mix and came up with a Nutella-filled mini sandwich cookie that gave this all star recipe the oomph I was looking for.



I didn't change the actual recipe too much. I just changed the size and the personality of the little darlings. Instead of getting thirty 3 inch cookies, I got about seventy 1-1/2 inch cookies which would yield 35 sandwiches if you don't carelessly pop too many of these little gems into your mouth. And of course the Nutella filling was the proverbial "icing on the cake".

These are a cinch to make, but I will warn you...they are time consuming. Measuring out and baking 70 or so cookies takes time and patience. But I do believe they are worth it.


Nutella Filled Chocolate Cookies

1 Jar Nutella- Chocolate/Hazelnet Spread to use for the cookies and the filling

Dry Ingredients
1-3/4 cups AP flour- I used my Trinity Flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Wet Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter room temp
1/2 cup sugar- I used Splenda No Calorie Sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar- I used 1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend for Baking
1/2 cup Nutella
1 large egg room temp
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (my addition)

Instructions:
Pre heat oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In medium size bowl combine all dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Set aside. In larger bowl combine butter, sugars and Nutella. Mix about 2-3 minutes. I use a hand mixer. Add egg and vanilla extract. Mix. Then add the dry ingredients, remembering to scrape the bowl to mix in anything that's sticking around the edges. Fold in the mini chips. You'll notice this is a very light batter. It almost feels like there are marshmallows in it. (An idea for a later date, maybe?)

Now you're ready to make the mini cookies. I discovered the best way to get a uniform size was to use a teaspoon from my measuring spoon set- that way all my cookies would be more or less the same size. (A melon baller might work too, but I couldn't find mine) After scooping out the little teaspoons of dough, roll them into balls about 1/2" to 3/4" and set them on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie ball. Bake 6 minutes and let cool a few minutes before you transfer them to paper towels to finish cooling. You'll literally have dozens of cookies all over your kitchen. When the cookies are cooled, and you hopefully haven't popped too many in your mouth, it's time to get out the rest of the Nutella and start filling the sandwiches. And that's the fun and messy part. Place as little or as much Nutella as you like in between 2 cookies, gently press together and your mission is accomplished.

After eating my fare share, I froze the rest and they are doing very well in the freezer. And they don't take long to defrost.



Nutella: If you're not familiar with this spread, you can find it in the peanut butter aisle of your supermarket. It's simply a smooth mixture of chocolate and hazelnuts. It contains a fair amount of sugar, but supposedly has many nutrients. It's great on toast and super on a warm, grilled, buttered crostini with a little bit of cinnamon. And if you're into easy, over-the-top desserts, try pan frying Nutella, peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff between 2 slices of bread (in butter). Then sprinkle on some powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream. Yeah, that's over-the-top.