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

Bittman's Simplest & Best Shrimp Dish

The dish I'm sharing with you today comes from Mark Bittman's weighty tome, "How to Cook Everything" (though I actually referenced it on the HTCE iPhone application), and is another contribution to Make it with ..... Mondays, challenge paprika as well as to the latest Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop.

"The Simplest & Best Shrimp Dish" is Bittman's own title for this dish and, to be honest, it is so good and so deliciously simple that it is hard to imagine a more fitting name for it.  If you buy shrimp which have already been peeled and cleaned, then the only work involved is a bit of garlic preparation and parsley chopping - hardly what you would call labour intensive.  The actual cooking is even less demanding.  I served this dish with some saffron rice, and the shrimps can basically be prepped and cooked in the time it takes to cook the rice, which is what I call perfect timing.

The sauce is gloriously garlicky and redolent with the smoky aroma of the paprika, and was beautiful served over rice, but would be equally good with some pasta or fresh crusty bread to mop up all that wonderful sauce.  This dish would also be perfect served with a variety of other dishes as part of a selection of tapas.

Of one thing you can be certain - no matter which way you serve this, you will be asked for it over and over again.

The Simplest & Best Shrimp Dish Recipe

Adapted from Mark Bittman's

How to Cook Everything

Makes 2 generous servings

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

extra virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

300g shrimp, peeled and deveined

flaky sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon hot paprika

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Pour enough extra virgin olive oil into a large skillet to liberally cover the bottom of the pan.  Set the pan over low heat, warm the oil, add the garlic, and cook until it turns golden.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp.  Sprinkle over some flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;  add the cumin, and the paprika.  Stir to blend and continue to cook, shaking the pan occasionally and turning the shrimp over a couple of times, until they are pink and the mixture is bubbly - about 5 minutes.

Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.

Interested in cooking some more with Mark Bittman?  I highly recommend any of these Mark Bittman books:

     

Available from Amazon, Book Depository UK, and Fishpond NZ

This post is submitted to "Making it with ..... Mondays" # 4, challenge paprika (there's still time to join in - linky will be open until 11.59 am, Monday 7 February) and the Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop Volume 4 (linky will be open until 11.59 pm, Thursday 10 February).  I'd love you to get cooking either with some paprika or Bittman, or maybe a combination of both, then come on over and join in the fun.

     

This post is also linked to "Let's Do Brunch" at My Sweet & Savory and Food on Friday hosted by Carole at Carole's Chatter.

Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop Volume 4

My goodness a month rolls around quickly!  In case you hadn't noticed today is the first Thursday of the month, and that means it's Tackling Bittman time again.  If you've been following this blog for a while then you know that I am a big fan of Mark Bittman's, and you will probably have stumbled across several of the dishes I posted while I Heart Cooking Clubs was cooking with Bittman.  In order to keep that passion alive I've joined in with my friend Alex at A Moderate Life (founder), Christy at Frugality and Crunchiness with Christy, Dr Laura at Who is Laura?,  Chaya at My Sweet and Savoury and Pam at Sidewalk Shoes to co-host the monthly Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop.  We're "hopping" the first Thursday of every month, and posting up a linky for you to join in, which will be open for one week.

So, go drag your copy of How to Cook Everything down off the shelves, and get cooking.  You may of course use any other Mark Bittman book that you can lay your hands on, or even the How to Cook Everything iPhone Application, which I highly recommend.  Other places to source Mark Bittman recipes are here on the How to Cook Everything website and here on the Mark Bittman website.  Post your dish, and then join in the "hop" by linking your post here (or at any one of the other hosts - your link will automatically show up on all six host sites), following the instructions below.  You could of course link up one of your previous posts - it may be an old post to you, but it could well be new to our audience.  I do hope you'll join us.

Now for the necessary part - the rules. They are pretty simple, especially if you are familiar with hops.

Rules for linking:

Please use your best blog hop etiquette when linking. The rules are in place to help everyone have the best blog hop experience possible.

If you are new to a blog carnival, or blog hop, it is very easy to learn how to join in the fun! Simply go to the current blog post for the hop and scroll down to the bottom where you will see a small box that will say, "You're next" or "Your link here". When you click on that link, you will be asked to enter the URL of your recipe or article.

• Please link to your article only and not directly to your blog front page. The linky may ask you to upload a photograph from your computer, then you click next and leave a comment on the blog host's post.

• We also ask that you place a link back to the blog host at the bottom of your post - this means adding in the URL of the blog hop post, which you can copy from your browser address bar.  You could also choose to place a blog badge into your post, which is explained below. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

• At least one host will visit each link before the next linky period opens, because this is personal for us … we want you to know that we appreciate that you’ve taken the time to create a post, add a link back to the hop, and add your link!  We’ll be sure to acknowledge this with a comment and a tweet on Twitter (using hashtag #bittyhop).

• One link per blog monthly on the Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop, please.

• Must include a link back to one/any of the host sites (through worded link or badge) in your actual post, not just on your sidebar … although we love having links on your page as well (this benefits all of us). You will be sent a gentle reminder if no link is added to your post, we understand that sometimes people forget … but if it becomes a regular occurrence, (even though we don’t like to do it) your post may be removed.  It’s just not fair to those who do take the time and show the grace to link back.

• Linky will stay open from 5:00 AM the first Thursday of Every Month, to 11:59 pm the following Thursday (EST).

If you would like to use a badge, please copy the code in the box beneath the badge below and paste that into your post, and also into your sidebar if you wish:

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Lets's get cooking and thanks for joining in!
Sue, Alex, Christy, DrLaura, Chaya and Pam

I also realised that I have been completely remiss in letting you know who won the How to Cook Everything iPhone application that I was giving away last month.  The winner was the lovely Vanille at AtDownUnder - Vanille is beyond talented and has, hands-down, easily one of the most beautiful blogs in the blogosphere.  Do go and visit her - you won't be disappointed.

Chicken & Chorizo Paella

You might recall me mentioning sometime ago the cooking class I attended in Barcelona last year, and my accompanying promise to share with you the recipe for the Seafood Paella that we made.  This is not that recipe.

I am always very reticent about sharing "traditional" recipes from cultures other than my own, since you're almost guaranteed to get it wrong, and at this very moment there are probably dozens of Spaniards throwing up their hands in horror at my audaciousness in calling this a paella.  (Actually, I just did a quick check on Stat Counter and right at this moment there is no-one visiting from Spain, so perhaps I'll get away with it.)

By and large the technique or method involved in this doesn't seem to depart too much from the version we made at that Barcelona cooking class (which I do still promise to share with you at some stage), but I don't know how likely you would be to find this combination of ingredients for example in a genuine paella.

This recipe was adapted from one by Thomasina Mier's, for which I can no longer seem to find the original link.  Thomasina's original version had lots of seafood, which I swapped out for the chorizo;  I also left out onions, while the olives and smokey paprika were my own additions.

This dish may be lacking a little in authenticity (and I trust you'll forgive me for that), and it doesn't even look too beautiful, but it more than makes up for its shortcomings with loads of great flavour.  This is a great dish for a family meal or to feed a crowd - quantities could easily be doubled to feed more people.  I hope you'll give this a try - I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Chicken & Chorizo Paella Recipe

Adapted from a recipe by Thomasina Miers

Serves 4

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

approx 120g chorizo sausage

1 fennel bulb

1/2 red pepper

1/2 yellow pepper

small bunch fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic

6 artichoke hearts, bottled (I use roasted)

2 tomatoes

generous handful black olives

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

pinch saffron

250g Calasparra rice

500ml chicken stock

75ml white wine

flaky sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Put saffron strands in a small cup of hot water, and leave to infuse while you prepare the other ingredients.

First the chorizo - I like to remove the casing, and then break up into bite-sized pieces.  That said, if that seems like a bit too much trouble, just cut the sausage into slices.

Next the fennel - remove the base, any tougher outer "leaves" and tops (don't throw these away - I put them in a bag in the freezer and pull them out later for making soup or stock), then cut the bulb into pieces.

Cut the peppers into similar sized pieces, and cut the tomatoes into 1/8ths.

Cut the artichokes into 1/4s.  Chop the garlic finely.  If you can be bothered, remove the thyme leaves from the stalks - though I generally just drop the whole stems in - during the cooking the leaves tend to come away from the stems and then the stems can simply be discarded before serving.

Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil, along with the chorizo sausage, to a large skillet, then place the pan over high heat and begin to heat the chorizo, which will render a lot of its own fat in the process.

Add a little more oil to the pan, and add the fennel, peppers, and thyme to the pan.  Sautee until the vegetables are just starting to caramelise - 5-10 minutes.

Add another good dash of oil to the pan, and add in the tomatoes, garlic, olives and artichokes, a sprinkling of flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the rice and sprinkle over the paprika.  Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes to coat the rice well with the oil and paprika.  Add the chicken and stir again.

Add the saffron and its soaking water, the white wine, and chicken stock. Stir to make sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed around the pan, and then no more stirring.

Bring to the boil and cook over high heat for about 10 minutes until the rice has started to swell.  Turn the heat down to low and simmer for another 10 minutes, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.

Remove from the heat, cover and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.  I like to serve this with a fresh, crispy, green salad.

This post is a contribution to Make it with ..... Mondays challenge paprika - the linky is still open until Monday 7 February, so keep your paprika posts coming, and don't forget to check out this week's special ingredient which is Nutella.

I'm also sharing this post at Food on Friday hosted by Carole at Carole's Chatter.

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.

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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