Truffles Nutella

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
9 ounces chopped, semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons Nutella

Coating
6 ounces chocolate
5 1/2 ounces skinned and toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped

Mix the cream, butter and corn syrup together in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a full boil. Turn off heat. Add 9 ounces of the chopped chocolate, and gently swirl the pan. Do not stir. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, add the Nutella and whisk slowly to combine. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, line baking sheets with parchment paper.

After 45 minutes, the mixture will start to thicken quickly, keep refrigerated another 11 to 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Using a mini ice cream scoop or two spoons, form the mixture into 1-inch balls and and place on the prepared sheets. Chill until firm, about 10-15 minutes.

While the balls are chilling, melt the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate. After it is completely melted, allow to cool slightly before continuing.

Place chopped hazelnuts in a small bowl. Remove the balls from the refrigerator. Using one hand, dip the balls into the melted chocolate. Roll it around in your hand, allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. Place the truffle in the chopped hazelnuts. With your clean hand, cover the truffle with the nuts. Lift it out and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining truffles. Place back in the refrigerator for 5-8 minutes to set.

Makes about 24 truffles.

May be stored up to one week in an airtight container.

Spiced Nutella Hotcakes

1 1/2 cups Nutella, divided
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 large eggs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup Nutella, water, cinnamon and cayenne pepper until completely blended (the mixture will become very stiff). Scoop 1 rounded teaspoon Nutella mixture and shape into ball about 1 inch in diameter. Repeat to create 12 balls. Place on plate in freezer while making cake batter (about 15 minutes).

Lightly grease and flour 1 standard size 12-piece muffin tin.

Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining 1 cup Nutella until smooth.

In medium bowl, whisk together eggs and brown sugar until frothy (about 1 minute). Add Nutella-butter mixture and continue whisking to blend. Fold in flour.

Pour batter into muffin tins. Remove chocolate-cinnamon balls from freezer and place one in each cup, pressing slightly to fully submerge. Use spoon to cover balls with surrounding batter if necessary. Bake for 15 minutes. (The cakes will be soft in center when done.) Allow to cool 10 to 15 minutes before handling.

Carefully remove cakes with knife or small metal spatula. Serve warm.

Dust with confectioners sugar and whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.

lternative: To save time, make cakes 1 day in advance and reheat in microwave for 15 to 20 seconds each before serving.

Orange Cake with Chocolate Frosting

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup milk
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons orange or vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 shot Grand Marnier
1/2 cup orange peel
1 jar Nutella
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Mix everything slowly for 4 minutes and pour into a Bundt pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.

Sprinkle some chocolate chips on top.

When the cake is cooled, spread the Nutella chocolate over cake and sprinkle with walnuts.

Nutella Fruit Parfait

10 ladyfingers or 20 vanilla wafer cookies
1 cup Nutella
1/3 cup low-fat milk
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
2 cups assorted fresh fruits such apricots, oranges and raspberries, sliced

Coarsely chop cookies with knife.

In large bowl, whisk together Nutella and milk until smooth. Fold in ricotta cheese.

Layer one-third of Nutella-ricotta cream into bottom of 6 (8 ounce) parfait glasses. Top evenly with half of fruit. Sprinkle half of cookie crumbs on fruit. Repeat process once more and top with remaining Nutella-ricotta cream. Serve immediately for crunchy parfait or refrigerate for 15 minutes to soften cookies.

Top with whipped cream to serve.

Nutella Bundt Cake

1 cup Nutella, divided
4 large eggs, divided
1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur or hazelnut syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour 10-inch Bundt pan.

In small bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup Nutella and 1 egg. Blend until completely smooth and set aside. In large bowl, using electric mixer on low speed, stir together cake mix, remaining 3 eggs, buttermilk and remaining 1/3 cup Nutella until moistened. Scrape down sides and beater(s) and increase speed to medium, beating for another 2 minutes.

Remove 1 cup batter and mix with RESERVED Nutella-egg mixture. Pour leftover batter evenly into prepared cake pan. Spoon RESERVED Nutella batter over it and, using a knife, gently swirl batters together to create marble pattern. Smooth top of cake and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. (Cake is done when moist crumbs cling to inserted wooden pick.)

Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes. When ready to handle, carefully invert onto cooling rack and remove pan. While cake continues to cool, make glaze by whisking together confectioners sugar and Frangelico liquor until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake.

Serving ideas: For a spring touch, sprinkle top of cake with candied orange and lemon slices.

Alternative: To make mini Bundt cakes, use 2 mini Bundt pans (6 cakes each) instead of a 10-inch Bundt pan and follow above instructions, dividing batters into 12 smaller cake forms. Bake cakes for 20 to 25 minutes.

Gianduia Brownies

Source: Gourmet – February 1998

1 1/4 cups hazelnuts (about 6 1/4 ounces)
4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate
    (not unsweetened)
3 ounces fine-quality milk chocolate
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup Nutella*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup granualted sugar
2 large eggs

*available at specialty foods shops and many supermarkets

Preheat oven to 350?F and butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour.

Toast and skin hazelnuts (procedure this page). In a food processor pulse hazelnuts until coarsely ground (bits should be about 1/8 inch).

Chop chocolates into small pieces and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolates with butter and Nutella, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat.

While chocolates are melting, into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and a pinch salt. Whisk sugar into chocolate mixture until combined well. Add eggs, whisking until mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in flour mixture and hazelnuts until just combined.

Pour batter into baking pan and bake in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out with moist crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack and cut into 16 squares. Brownies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature, 5 days.

Makes 16 brownies.

Easy Nutella Ice Cream Cups

1 pint chocolate ice cream, softened
1 cup Nutella
2 pints coffee ice cream, softened
8 toasted peeled hazelnuts

Have ready 8 (5- to 6-ounce) ramekins. Spread 1/4 cup chocolate ice cream in the bottom of each ramekin. Drizzle 2 teaspoons Nutella evenly over the chocolate ice cream. Spread 1/2 cup coffee ice cream in each ramekin. Smooth the top. Freeze the ramekins until the coffee ice cream is firm, about 30 minutes.

Removing only 4 ramekins from the freezer at a time, spread a smooth layer of Nutella over the coffee ice cream. Place a hazelnut in the center of each filled ramekin. Freeze the ramekins just until the topping is firm, about 15 minutes. Serve.

To freeze, wrap each ramekin tightly with plastic wrap. Gently press heavy aluminum foil around each ramekin.  Freeze up to 2 weeks.

To serve, unwrap the ramekins and let sit at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes to soften the ice cream slightly.