Nutella Scones

Several years ago, I got myself a copy of the book, Baked Explorations.  It had so many wonderful looking recipes in it, but for some reason or other, I never got around to making any of them.  So, there it sat, on my bookshelf, gathering dust.  Terrible, I know.  Till one lovely Sunday I started looking for a new recipe to make.  Somehow, the Internet didn't have what I was looking for and I decided that it was high time to go old school and open up a book. 

Originally, I though that I'd make some cookies.  But, then, my eyes landed on the recipe for scones.  Not just any scones, rich, chocolatey, scones with Nutella inside AND out.  Oh my gosh, did it ever look irresistible.  That was it!  I just had to have me some scones. 

The recipe is actually quite interesting in that it's almost a process similar to making cinnamon rolls.  You roll out the dough, spread the Nutella on it, then roll it up.  But, instead of cutting it like you would rolls, you proceed to mash it out into a disk again, then bake.  After letting them cool a bit, you then drizzle them with even more Nutella.  Definitely do not skip out on this step because you can never have too much Nutella flavor. 

 

Let me tell you, these scones were amazing!  The inside was like a fudgy brownie.  Then, you come upon a melty layer of Nutella in the middle of each bite.  They were moist, decadent, and delectable.  Perhaps a little indulgent for breakfast, but oh so worth it.  I wouldn't mind trying these again and filling them with peanut butter or raspberry jam or even marshmallow fluff.  Mmm, possibilities. 

Nutella Scones (from Baked Explorations)

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. Nutella, divided

Combine the dry ingredients.  Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter until the mixture is coarse.  Combine the cream with the egg and stir into the flour mixture until the dough just comes together.  Lay the dough on a piece of parchment paper and gently pat it out into a 6x12" rectangle.  Spread with 1/4 c. of the Nutella, then roll it up into a 6" long cylinder.  Flatten it again into a disk and score it into 6 or 8 wedges.  Bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet at 375F for 18-20 minutes (mine took 24 minutes).  Let cool, then drizzle with 1/4 c. warmed Nutella.   

Browned Butter Pumpkin Pie Bars

 

Several years ago, I made these pumpkin pie bars and proclaimed them the best pumpkin brownie/blondie recipe I had ever tried.  They were moist and chock full of pumpkiny, spicy flavors.  I honestly did not think that they could get any better.  I was wrong.  Two words - browned butter.   

It's that whole adage . . . if I knew then what I know now.  Well, what I know now is how to brown butter and I also know that browned butter makes everything, and I mean everything, so much better.  The smell of it alone is like the most delightful perfume in your house.  Intoxicating.  They should make air fresheners and candles scented like browned butter.  I'm totally serious.

 

But, going back to these bars.  Browned butter immediately adds a depth of flavor that you simply won't get with regular melted butter.  It's true that it takes more time to make, a little more patience, and a bit of skill, but you really won't regret it.  Once you go browned, you'll never go back.  So it was with these pumpkin pie bars.  One taste of them and the difference was like night and day.  Oooohhh, I was in pumpkin heaven.  Correction - browned butter pumpkin heaven.  I eagerly shared these bars with friends of mine and they were just as over the moon about them as I was.  May I never forget this important lesson - browned butter = better!

Browned Butter Pumpkin Pie Bars (slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, browned
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree

For the top:
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.  Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.  Brown the butter until it smells nutty (do not discard the browned bits).  Let the browned butter cool slightly to room temperature.  Combine the butter with the sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Mix in the pumpkin.  Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.

Spread the batter evenly in the pan.  Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs on it.  Cool completely before cutting.

Spun Sugar Decorations

Several weeks from now, I will be making a cake for a special occasion.  Which means that for the past week, I've been trying to figure out how I intend to decorate it.  I admit that I could probably recycle one of my old designs and no one would really care.  But, the thing is that I enjoy pushing myself to learn new techniques and exercise my creative side, even if it means a little more time or effort involved.  As with anything, if you want to get better at it, you have to keep going higher (or something like that).

For some reason, the one thing that stuck out in my mind was sugar decorations.  You know, those little spun sugar nests or shards of sugar that look just like glass?  I thought it would be so neat to do something like that, especially since the cake I'll be making has caramel filling.  It would match so perfectly.

I found the recipe for the sugar syrup on the blog, Mimi's Kitchen, and it sounded so easy that I just knew I had to give it a try.  Mimi actually made sugar nests, which you do by drizzling the syrup onto a bowl.  But, I decided to go freestyle and just see where serendipity would take me.   

First, I did the easiest one - toffee shards, which I learned how to do from HERE.  Really, so simple.  Once you've made the burnt sugar, you just pour it, spread it out, let it cool, and break away.  After it was finished, it was a thing of beauty.  It looked just like broken glass and would add such an elegant accent to any cake.

 

I then made a second batch of sugar syrup and decided to just play around with it.  So, after letting it cool slightly in the pan, I took a fork and just started drizzling it back and forth on some parchment paper.

I just did some long streaky things, but you can let your imagination go wild and do whatever you want to do.  Swirls, amber drops (which will look like jewels), squigglies.  It will all look fantastic.  

 

Finally, with some of the remaining syrup (which I had to warm up again to soften), I went for the final look - sugary threads.  I know some people line up wooden spoons or broomstick handles or whatnot and then start flicking it back and forth, but I just didn't want to have to go through all that trouble, or risk getting the sugary stuff onto my floor.  So, I dipped the fork into the syrup, let a small bit drip down, and then I caught onto that strand and just started pulling as fast as I could, again and again.  You have to work fast or else it will all turn brittle before you've managed to even pull a couple strands.  Think Rumplestiltzkin spinning straw into gold, just backwards - you're turning the gold back into straw.  Ha!  As long as you don't touch the big glob of syrup on the fork, you don't have to worry about burning your fingers because the little strands cool as soon as they hit the air.  Once I had a mass of sugary threads, I sort of pushed them together with my fingers (gently, or the heat from your fingers will melt the threads) into a nest shape.  Cute!

If you've ever had doubts/fears about working with liquefied sugar, put them to rest.  It could not be any easier, I promise.  And, it was super quick too.  I absolutely love that I've now learned a new skill and I've also now got some great ideas that I may use for my cake.  Give it a try!  

Spun Sugar (Mimi's Kitchen)

1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. water

Combine the sugar and water in a heavy-bottom saucepan.   Heat on medium-high heat until it turns amber colored.  Whatever you do, do not stir it.  If the sugar is too clumped up in one spot, just swirl the pan to distribute the mixture evenly.  Once the mixture is caramelized, remove it from the heat.

To make the toffee shards (from Taste)
Pour out the mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Spread it out evenly and quickly into a thin layer (depending on how thick you want the finished product to be).  Let it cool until it hardens.  Use the parchment paper to hold it and break it into shards.  If you use your hands, it will start to soften.

For the sugar squiggles:
After the caramelized mixture has cooled and thickened slightly in the pan (shouldn't take more than a minute or two), dip in a fork or wire whisk and drizzle the mixture back and forth onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  You'll know it's thick enough when you see the sticky strands trailing (not dripping) from the fork after you dip it.

For the sugar nest:
Dip the fork into the hot sugar mixture.  Let a small bit of it drip down and grab onto that small drip.  Start pulling as quickly as you can, back and forth, and the strands should appear.  Keep going until you have a sufficient amount of strands.  Repeat as needed.  Do NOT grab onto the hot glob of syrup itself or you will get burned.  Once you have a good amount of strands, use your fingers to gently mold it into a nested shape.
 
Note:  With the exception of the toffee shards, the other methods are my own.  

Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles

 

When I was assigned to Claire K Creations a week ago, I just couldn't resist making more than one recipe, especially when I saw all the yummy cookie recipes she had.  You know me and my sweet tooth.  And, while I'm not a chocoholic by any means, I am a spice fiend.  Which is why I just had to try the Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles. 

 

These cookies have cayenne pepper in them for a little kick.  Then, you roll them in cinnamon sugar to finish them off.  I just loved the combo of the chocolate and spices in these.  Not to mention, the texture was perfect - crisp on the outside and soft and cakey on the inside.  My sister raved about them.  I think the only change I'd make is to triple the amount of cayenne pepper in them since we couldn't really taste it, even though we also added a little cayenne pepper to the cinnamon-sugar rolling mix.  Although, that's just us.  We tend to have a high tolerance to heat and like to feel the burn in our mouths. 

I will say that I also gave these cookies to a friend of mine and the cookies were devoured in no time at all.  So, if you have a low tolerance to heat, you will love these cookies.  And, even if you have a high tolerance to heat, you will still love these cookies.  They're that 's good.  I'm definitely glad I tried more than one recipe from her blog. 

Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles (slightly adapted from Claire K Creations)

1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

For rolling:
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of cayenne pepper 

Cream the butter with the sugars.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine well.  Chill the dough until firm, about 1 hour.  Roll the dough into small balls and roll in the cinnnamon-sugar-pepper mixture.  Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes until cracked on top. 

Pumpkin Rocky Road Brownies

Originally, I was going to make Pumpkin S'mores Bars.  However, when I opened up the package of graham crackers, something seemed a little off.  They didn't smell way graham crackers usually smelled.  In fact, they kind of reminded me of the way a bottle of oil smells when it has gone bad.  Then, I looked at the date on the box - March 2014.  Okaaay, apparently graham crackers do not last forever.  Who knew?  So, there went the s'mores bars.

But, since I had the pumpkin and the marshmallows, I decided to go ahead and make something else - these Pumpkin Rocky Road Brownies.  I have had these on my pin board for the longest time.  It seems like I just never had all the ingredients at once.  Well, now was the time.  

I decided to alter them a bit.  Instead of putting all the marshmallows and chocolate chips into the batter, I saved half of them and added them onto the top during the last 10 minutes of baking.  Since the recipe calls for both pumpkin and spices, you would think that you would taste them in the brownies themselves.  But, actually, all you really taste is a deep chocolatiness.  I think the pumpkin is what makes these extra fudgy, gooey, and rich.  In fact, I'd recommend keeping them chilled, otherwise, they tend to fall apart a little.  Other than that, they were sensational.  I think you'll love them as much as I did.

Pumpkin Rocky Road Brownies (adapted from Flamingo Musings)

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 c. natural cane sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger powder
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chocolate chips (divided)
2 1/4 c. mini marshmallows (divided)

Line a 9x9 pan with foil.  Melt the butter and stir in the cocoa powder.  Mix in the pumpkin puree and spices, then the sugar.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Fold in 1/2 c. of chocolate chips and 1 c. of marshmallows.  Spread evenly into the pan and bake at 350F for 35 minutes.

Top with the rest of the mini marshmallows and chocolate chips and bake for 10 minutes more.  The brownies will be gooey, so be sure to let cool completely.  I also recommend chilling them in the freezer for easier cutting.  It's also easiest is you dip a knife in warm water before each cut. 


 

Olive Bread - Secret Recipe Club

I confess, I may have gone a little overboard with this month's Secret Recipe Club assignment.  Instead of making one recipe, I tried EIGHT!!!  But, seriously, if you were to go and browse Claire's blog, Claire K Creations, you would have done the same.  She has so many amazing recipes that five is barely scraping the surface of all the yummy things I wanted to make.  Definitely go and check out some of these other recipes on my to-do list:  Dill Roasted Carrots, Greek Almond Crescent Biscuits, and Belgium Biscuits.  You'll be glad you did.  Just make sure to set aside an hour or two if you do because once you start looking at her blog, you won't want to stop.

Now, about Claire herself.  Did you know she lives in Australia?  So cool!  She started her blog to share her love of food with others.  And share it she does!  You'll find recipes that reflect her country's unique foodie culture, such as Anzac biscuits and pavlovas.  But, she doesn't only have Australian recipes, she makes food from all over the world.  I felt like I was taking a little trip just browsing through it all.

Still, I had to pick one to share today.  So, while I also ended up making her Condensed Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies, Orange Cookies, Chocolate Spiced Cookies, Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles, and Hokey Pokey Biscuits, and loved them all, I might add, I decided to share the Olive Bread to start.

You know from my blog's title that I have a major sweet tooth.  But, bread is and always will be my first love.  I love all the types, especially the artisan breads and one that's always caught my eye in supermarkets is Olive Bread.  I've wanted to try it for the longest time, but it's so expensive for just one little loaf that I've simply resisted.  Then, I found Claire's recipe.  It looked so simple and would cost so much less to make it myself that I just knew I had to try it.

The interesting thing about this bread is that you have to let it rise three times instead of the usual two.  But, there must be some sort of magic about the third rise because I came out with a wonderfully soft, fluffy loaf.  The only change I made was to use all-purpose flour since I had run out of bread flour.  The salty bits of olive gave just the right amount of flavor to each bite and every mouthful was heavenly.  I savored every piece of this bread and just wanted to keep on eating it.  It would surely make some awesome sandwiches, but for now, I just enjoyed eating it on its own.  I know it's one that I'll make again and again, and next time I'll even try it with the bread flour.

Thanks Claire for this super fantastic bread!

Olive Bread (slightly adapted from Claire K Creations)

3 c. bread flour (I used all-purpose flour)
2 tsp. active dry yeast (I used 2 1/2 tsp.)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt 
1/2 c. chopped olives (I used Kalamata olives)
 3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/4 c. warm water (110F)


Combine the yeast, warm water, and a pinch of sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.  Add in the sugar and olive oil.  Then, add in the flour, salt and chopped olives.  Knead the dough on a well-floured surface until smooth and elastic.  Put the dough into a well-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and let rise 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. 

After the first rise, punch it down and knead again until smooth, about 5-10 minutes.  Let rise again until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.  After the second rise, form it into a ball and turn it out, seam-side up, onto a well-floured towel.  Dust the top with a bit of flour and let rise again, about 20 minutes, until doubled in size.

Prepare your oven by putting a pan of water onto the bottom rack and preheating to 410F.  Once the dough has risen a third time, turn it out, seam-side down, onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.  Bake for 15 minutes at 410F.  Reduce the heat to 340F and continue baking for 30 minutes, or till golden.   

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