Nutella Meringues

I love the serendipitous nature of things at times.

It's Secret Recipe Club** time again, and this month I was assigned to Shockingly Delicious, hosted by the lovely Dorothy.   With 25 years of food writing and developing behind her, Dorothy has an absolute plethora of what she describes as "scrumptious, tried and true, scary good recipes" for her readers to choose from.

Difficult though it was to choose, I had shortlisted a few recipes from Dorothy's blog that I wanted to try:  Mango Orange Cream Power Smoothie and Orange Things Fruit & Vegetable Smoothie - okay, I've been on a massive smoothie kick lately so there was no question they were going to be front runners on the list;  Cheesy Skillet Gnocchi with Kale - I have a big weakness for gnocchi, and kale is very plentiful right now, making this a very strong contender in the mix;  and Nutella Meringues - well, who even needs a "because" for Nutella meringues!!

And this is where serendipity comes into play.  While I was in the midst of an inner debate between mango smoothies and cheesy gnocchi, a friend arrived to stay for a few days bearing a box of duck eggs collected from the brother of another friend.  This occasioned a bit of a Google search for some information about using duck eggs, whereupon I discovered that apparently duck eggs make the best meringues.  Well no prizes for guessing that the decision over which dish I would make was instantly nailed.

Further serendipity came today in the form of the sister of the provider of said duck eggs coming for lunch, and being able to serve her the Nutella meringues for dessert.  Jennifer is not normally a woman of few words, but as she took a bite out of one of these babies, she had just four words to say ... "Oh.  My.  God.  Awesome".  What more can I say?!  There is actually nothing that can be said about these meringues that is not summed up in those few words.  For an "awesome" experience I urge you to try them too.

** Interested to know a little bit more about Secret Recipe Club?  Then let me explain.  The club has over a hundred members, divided into four groups, and each month one member is assigned (in secret) to another member from their group.  That person then selects a recipe (or more) to make, photograph, and prepare a blog post - all in secret.  Then everyone in the group posts their recipe on the same day, and of course the secret is then out.  It's always a thrill to find out who has posted something from your own blog, and is a great way to meet and discover some new blogs.   If you are a food blogger and interested in joining the Secret Recipe Club, be sure to check out the Join SRC page.

Nutella Meringues
from Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Makes 12 largish meringues
Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

1/4 cup Nutella
3x large egg whites (duck eggs if you can get them are perfect, if not free range hen eggs)
pinch of cream of tartar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup of sugar

Preheat your oven to 150 degrees C (300 degrees F), and line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Put Nutella in a small bowl and microwave for around 30 seconds to "loosen" the consistency.  Allow to cool if it has become warm.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are foamy.  Add the cream of tartar and salt, and continue beating until the egg whites reach a soft peak stage.  Now increase the speed to high, and begin to add the sugar one spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition to ensure that the sugar is fully dissolved - be patient!!  By the time you've finished the meringue will be very thick and glossy.

Add the Nutella to the meringue and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the Nutella through - just enough to get a marbled effect.  Don't over mix.

Using two spoons drop dollops of meringue onto the lined baking sheet, and place in the preheated oven.  Turn the heat down to 95 degrees C (200 degrees F) and bake for one hour, by which time the meringues should feel "dry".  Turn the oven off and leave meringues in the oven until completely cold.

Remove and store in an airtight container.  Serve just as they are or sandwich together with whipped cream, then wait for the accolades.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did, and visit the links below to check out all the other great dishes my Secret Recipe Club friends made.

An InLinkz Link-up

Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream

This is hands-down the simplest and possibly the best chocolate ice cream you will ever come across.  Several months ago I came across a recipe for a Nutella ice cream on another blog, and I made it several times and absolutely loved it.  I use regular Nutella for this, although the original recipe called for vegan Nutella so you can certainly use that to make a vegan version.  I thought that I had originally found the recipe on a blog called Voracious (which was previously The Voracious Vegan), but on revisiting to link back to it I have been unable to find it.  So if you belong to the original copy of this recipe or know who does - please let me know so that I can link to it.

Most of the time, I make this just plain, but because I had a beautiful big bowl of fresh, fat, cherries to use, and inspired by the idea of Black Forest Gateau (let's face it cherries and chocolate are a marriage made in heaven), I stirred a pile of them into the freshly churned ice cream.

Now I've had chocolate ice cream before with cherries in, and the cherries have always stayed kind of soft - mine kind of froze.  I guess the difference (which I didn't think of at the time) is normally glace cherries would be used, and I'm assuming that because of the high sugar content they don't freeze.   So I realise that next time, if I'm to use fresh cherries, I probably need to poach them first in some sugar syrup.  Nevertheless, by the time the ice cream comes out of the freezer, and sits long enough to be "scoopable" (probably not a real word I know, but you understand what I mean), the cherries have also softened somewhat.

So how do you make this wonderful and simple ice cream?  You are not going to believe this.

Put equal quantities of Nutella (use vegan if that is your preference) and coconut cream - I used 1-1/2 cups of each - into a medium sized bowl and using an electric mixer beat until combined.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturers directions.  Once churned, remove to a plastic tub, stir in fruit if using, and put into freezer to firm up.  You could try a variety of different fruits in this - or even add chocolate chips and or nuts.

This post is a contribution to Make it with ... Mondays challenge Nutella - the linky will be open until Monday 14 February, so keep those Nutella posts coming, and don't forget to keep your almond posts coming too - the almond linky is open here and will remain open until Monday 21 February.

I'm also linking this to the Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent Blog Hop.  Although I normally like to try and offer a reasonably healthy entry, it's all out decadence this week and I make no apology for it.

Make it with ..... Mondays # 6

Thanks for stopping by and joining me for another "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge.

Today we closed the door on challenge paprika, and you all brought some great dishes to the table.  Some of you hadn't used this ingredient before, so as always it was great to see you step out of your comfort zone and give it a try.   An interesting observation I made with this challenge, is that even though, as mentioned, many of you "stepped out of your comfort zone", almost all of you ended up with dishes that could often be considered "comfort food".   For my own part, I finally got to share with you my Chicken & Chorizo Paella, which had been languishing in draft for about 8 months, and I discovered a new favourite - Bittman's Simplest & Best Shrimp Dish.  So do go and check out all the entries - there are many great dishes there - all very colourful, flavourful and many deeply comforting.

A reminder also, that challenge Nutella is still open for another week (closing midday Monday 14 February - NZ time).  So keep those Nutella recipes coming - remember that you can link up as many posts as you like (as long as Nutella is one of the ingredients), and linking up old posts is fine too.  There have been some great posts submitted already, and I know that many of you have been making wonderful treats for World Nutella Day and forthcoming Valentines Day, so do stop by and link them up.  I shared with you last week my Grilled Pineapple with Nutella - proof, in my opinion, that a decadent dessert can still be relatively healthy.  I'll also be sharing with you this week my Chocolate Cherry Nutella Ice Cream - this is nothing less than a taste sensation - you won't want to miss this one. 

Now it's time to turn our attention to this week's special ingredient .....

Almonds

Almonds are the edible seeds of the almond tree, native to Southern Asia and the Middle East.  Almond trees generally begin to bear fruit after about 5 years, with the fruit coming to maturity  in autumn (about 7-8 months after flowering).

Although we generally think of almonds as nuts, they are in fact not a nut, but what is known as a drupe.  The seed that we eat grows inside a hard shell, which itself grows inside an outer hull. In the case of the almond this outer hull is a thick, leathery coating, which would be fleshy in other members of its species such as plums and cherries.

Approximately 1.7 million tonnes of almonds are produced worldwide each year, with around 80% of that coming from California.  Other major producers are Spain, Syria, Italy, Iran, and Morocco, with smaller quantities also coming from Algeria, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon and China.

There are two varieties of plants - one which produces sweet almonds, and one which produces bitter almonds.  Almonds have a multitude of culinary uses and nutritional benefits.  Almonds are low in carbohydrates and high in dietary fiber and monounsaturated fats, and regular consumption of almonds has been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and developing diabetes.  The use of almond flour or meal is a great substitute in cakes and breads for those on a carbohydrate-restricted diet, and because almond flour is also gluten-free it is a popular substitute for those with wheat allergies and intolerances.  Almonds are also a rich source of vitamin E;  consumption is claimed to improve complexion, as well as increase HDL-cholesterol (good cholesterol) and reduce LDL-cholesterol;  and Ayurvedic health practitioners believe that almonds provide nutrients for the brain and nervous system, thereby raising intellect and promoting longevity.

So now it's time to get cooking - put your thinking cap on, get creative, and see what you can come up with.  You may use almonds in any form - whole nuts, smoked, blanched, roasted, slivered or flaked;  almond flour/meal;  almond butter;  marzipan;  almond milk;  almond oil, or even an almond liqueur.  Can't wait to see what you come up with.

There are really only two rules for participating in this event:

1. Your post must feature this week's ingredient.  If, however, over time you have found a good substitute when you come across this ingredient in recipes (maybe because you don't like it, or it's not readily available in your area, or someone in your family has an allergy to it, or you use a vegan or gluten-free substitute), then, please tell us about it, show us what you use instead and explain to us why, and then of course link up - this is after all a learning experience and it's good to know about alternatives.
2. Your blog post must link back to this post and mention "Make it with ..... Mondays"

That's it - create your post (or feel free to link up an old post if you have one that uses this week's ingredient);  multiple posts are welcome;  then scroll down to the bottom of this page where you will see a small box that says "You are next, click here to enter". Click on that link, and follow the simple instructions - please link directly to your post, not just your blog home page.

Want to join in but don't have a blog?  No problem - just email me your thoughts, ideas and recipes, and I'll include them in a round-up the following week.  To email me just go to the "Contact Me" button on my sidebar.

If you would like to use a badge in your post, simply copy the code in the box beneath the badge below and paste it into your post.  Feel free to also use it in your sidebar if you wish.

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Please link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge almonds using the linky at the bottom of this page.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 21 February (NZT).

Please go to this page to link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge Nutella.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 14 February (NZT).

Last of all, before you get linking, here is a preview of what's coming up over the next 4 weeks:

Week commencing Monday 14 February - we're making it with polenta
Week commencing Monday 21 February - we're making it with coffee
Week commencing Monday 28 February - we're making it with tamarind
Week commencing Monday 7 March - we're making it with pomegranate molasses

Grilled Pineapple with Nutella

Our theme this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs, where we continue to cook with Giada de Laurentiis, is Pot Luck.  Our monthly Pot Luck always seems to be one of the favourite themes amongst group members, and I guess I'm no exception.  If you've been around here over the last week or two you will have noticed that I've been dishing up plenty of the healthy stuff lately, so I felt a little bit of indulgence was called for.  My mind immediately turned, of course, to one of Giada's favourite ingredients - chocolate, and more specifically Nutella.  Since Nutella is also our special ingredient this week at Make it with ..... Mondays, it seemed like a natural choice.

At the same time, I didn't want to go all-out decadence here, so this recipe for Grilled Pineapple with Nutella seemed like the perfect choice.  With fresh fruit, nuts, and fresh cream, I think there is more than enough good stuff going on in here to offset any potential indulgence in the Nutella and creme fraiche (Giada uses mascarpone, but I subbed creme fraiche instead).  Besides, I'm pretty sure that Nutella and creme fraiche are actually health foods - okay, look don't all write to me setting the record straight, I know they're not really health foods, but permit me the fantasy.

Grilled Pineapple with Nutella Recipe

Adapted from recipe by Giada de Laurentiis

Makes 2 generous servings

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

4 slices fresh pineapple, cut about 1.5 cm (1/2 in) thick, skin removed

2 heaped tablespoons creme fraiche

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 heaped tablespoons Nutella

2 tablespoons fresh cream

neutral-flavoured vegetable oil

large handful hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Heat a ridged grill pan over heat.  Use the vegetable oil to lightly grease the pan, and then grill the pineapple slices until beginning to soften and grill marks appear - about 4 minutes each side.

Meanwhile, put the creme fraiche into a small bowl, add the vanilla, mix together and set aside.

Put the Nutella and cream into another small bowl, and mix together.  Microwave on high for 60-80 seconds, stirring every 20 seconds, until well-blended, smooth and pourable.

Arrange the pineapple slices on a serving platter, and drizzle with the warm chocolate sauce.  Dollop around some of the creme fraiche mixture and sprinkle the toasted hazelnuts over the top.

Now you might look at this and imagine tooth-tingling sweetness and richness - I know I certainly did.  However, that was certainly not the case.  There is more than enough piquancy in the creme fraiche to cut through any sweetness from the deliciously "fudgy" Nutella sauce.  The toasty hazelnut pieces also add a layer of texture, and in their own way offset some sweetness too.  Overall, after eating this (and yes, just in case you're interested, I did eat that whole serving that you can see in the picture) was not of having eaten a big, rich, sweet dessert and that weighed down feeling that goes with it.  It was definitely a feeling of having eaten a fresh fruit dessert that had been "tarted up" a little.

This would make a spectacular dessert to serve for a crowd - served on a large platter, it would look stunning, and I guarantee there would be no left-overs.  This one is definitely on my list the next time I need to serve dessert for company.

Interested in getting to know Giada a bit better?  Then do go and visit my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs and see what they've all been cooking up ....

.... or check out Giada's Kitchen and many of her other titles, available from Amazon, Book Depository UK and Fishpond NZ

       

This post is a contribution to Make it with ... Mondays challenge Nutella - the linky will be open until Monday 14 February, so start those Nutella posts coming, and don't forget to keep your paprika posts coming too - the paprika linky is open here and will remain open until Monday 7 February.

This post is also linked to the Decidedly Healthy or Horribly Decadent Blog Hop.

Make it with ..... Mondays # 5

Thanks for stopping by and joining me for another "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge.

Today we closed the door on challenge quinoa, and what an exciting challenge it was.  So many of you really dug deep for this - going way out of your comfort zone.  Many of you said you had never used this ingredient before, or had tried it once before and not liked it.  But you all overlooked your reticence and gave it another try.  I feel really humbled that you made the effort and that you shared those efforts here.  For me, it was certainly an ingredient I'd used once or twice before, but it had never really found its way into regular use in my culinary repertoire.  After the last week that has certainly changed - after trying out a couple of dishes, I was really inspired not just by the deliciousness of this ingredient, but also it's versatility.  I know that I will be using it much more often now, experiementing with lots of different ways to use it, and with all of it's fantastic health benefits, I'm going to be a whole lot better off for it.

A reminder also, that challenge paprika is still open for another week (closing midday Monday 7 February - NZ time).  So keep those paprika recipes coming - remember that you can link up as many posts as you like (as long as paprika is one of the ingredients), and linking up old posts is fine too.  There have been some great posts submitted already, and over this week I will be sharing with you my Chicken & Chorizo Paella, which is a real favourite around here.  I'm also  going to share with you Bittman's "Simplest & Best Shrimp Dish", because this Thursday also happens to be time for Tackling Bittman again - so drag out your favourite Bittman books and recipes, get cooking and come back here on Thursday to link up - the linky will be open for one week.

Now it's time to turn our attention to this week's special ingredient .....

Nutella

Nutella is a "chocolate" hazelnut spread, developed in its earliest form in the mid-1940s by patissier Pietro Ferrero.  He was the founder of the Ferrero company, which registered the Nutella brand in 1963.  The deliciously sweet hazelnut spread is now sold in over 75 countries around the world.

Nutella is a modified form of gianduja, which is normally a mixture of 50% almond or hazelnut paste and 50% chocolate.  Because Nutella does not meet minimum cocoa solids concentration, in many countries it cannot be labelled as "chocolate".  It's main ingredients are sugar, vegetable oils, hazelnut, cocoa solids and skimmed milk.  With more than 50% of its calories coming from fat, and more than 40% from sugar, I think it would probably be fair to say that it's nutritional benefits are minimal.  On the other hand the psychological benefits are enormous.  Don't believe me - go scoop out a spoonful right now, and devour directly from the spoon - now try telling me you don't feel better.

So now it's time to get cooking - put your thinking cap on, get creative, and see what you can come up with.  I know many of you have been eagerly awaiting this ingredient and I'm sure there are many "unexpected" ways in which you could use this ingredient.  If, however, using it in unexpected ways means spreading it on someone else's body parts and then licking it off - perhaps you could just keep that to yourself - we don't need you sharing quite that much information round here.   Titilating though that may be, we just don't want weird, creepy people landing up here from some crazy Google search.  Can't wait to see what you come up with.

There are really only two rules for participating in this event:

1. Your post must feature this week's ingredient.  If, however, over time you have found a good substitute when you come across this ingredient in recipes (maybe because you don't like it, or it's not readily available in your area, or someone in your family has an allergy to it, or you use a vegan or gluten-free substitute), then, please tell us about it, show us what you use instead and explain to us why, and then of course link up - this is after all a learning experience and it's good to know about alternatives.
2. Your blog post must link back to this post and mention "Make it with ..... Mondays"

That's it - create your post (or feel free to link up an old post if you have one that uses this week's ingredient);  multiple posts are welcome;  then scroll down to the bottom of this page where you will see a small box that says "You are next, click here to enter". Click on that link, and follow the simple instructions - please link directly to your post, not just your blog home page.

Want to join in but don't have a blog?  No problem - just email me your thoughts, ideas and recipes, and I'll include them in a round-up the following week.  To email me just go to the "Contact Me" button on my sidebar.

If you would like to use a badge in your post, simply copy the code in the box beneath the badge below and paste it into your post.  Feel free to also use it in your sidebar if you wish.

<a href="http://couscous-consciousness.blogspot.com/p/make-it-with-mondays.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa476/Susan_Busch/5308633012_ba44e6bfb1_m.jpg" border="0" alt="MakeItWithMondays"></a>

Please link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge Nutella using the linky at the bottom of this page.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 14 February (NZT).

Please go to this page to link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge paprika.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 31 January (NZT).

Last of all, before you get linking, here is a preview of what's coming up over the next 4 weeks:

Week commencing Monday 7 February - we're making it with almonds
Week commencing Monday 14 February - we're making it with polenta
Week commencing Monday 21 February - we're making it with coffee
Week commencing Monday 28 February - we're making it with tamarind

Chocolate Panettone French Toast Sandwiches

Today is, believe it or not (and really how could you not), World Nutella Day! Three years ago Michelle at Bleeding Espresso and Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy decided to give the celebration of Nutella its own special holiday, and World Nutella Day was born. To a Nutella lover, it seems incredibly fitting to me have a special day on which to totally indulge in this pleasure.

So, of course, a celebration brunch was called for! As I just happened to have a panettone (a gorgeous Italian fruit cake, which is frequently served at Xmas - refer Source Guide) sitting in the pantry, some Nutella french toast sandwiches seemed like a good idea.

First of all you need to make a nice eggy bath for your sandwiches, using free-range eggs, grated orange zest, orange juice, milk, and a dash of maple syrup or honey.

Next cut the panettone into thick slices, and spread half of the slices thickly (this is not the time for a "thin smear") with Nutella. Sandwich together and then give your sandwiches a nice soak in the egg mixture while you melt a bit of butter in a pan.

Once the pan is hot, add the sandwiches and brown on both sides. Serve immediately with a dollop of mascarpone cheese, and finish off with a sprinkling of crushed "Ferrero Rocher" chocolates on top.

Chocolate Panettone French Toast Sandwiches Recipe

6 thick slices of panettone, or other stale bread

2 free-range eggs

grated rind & juice of half an orange

1/4 cup milk

1-1/2 teaspoons maple syrup

lashings of Nutella

1-1/2 tablespoons butter

mascarpone

2 or 3 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, crushed

Put eggs, orange juice and zest, maple syrup and milk in a wide, shallow dish, and whisk lightly to combine. Set aside.

Spread Nutella on three of the panettone/bread slices. Spread as thickly as you can without breaking the bread. Place the other three bread slices on top to make sandwiches.

Drop butter into a frying pan, and set over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, put sandwiches into the egg bath, coating both sides separately. Once the pan is hot and the butter is melted, add the sandwiches to the pan, and cook until browned on both sides.

Remove to a serving plate. Place a dollop of mascarpone cheese on top and sprinkle with the crushed chocolates.

Enjoy!

Do you have a favourite way to enjoy Nutella? - I'd love to hear about it.