Week 23: Chocolate Nutella Molten Lava Cake

My love affair with Nutella desserts continues. . .
Heart Sandwich Cookies
Chocolate Torte with Nutella Mousse

I don't really feel like I need to say anything more than that.

Chocolate Nutella Molten Lava Cake
Taken from Tasty Kitchen (posted by bell'alimento)

4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

11 Tbsp unsalted butter
6 oz (weight) bittersweet chocolate chips
3 whole eggs + 3 additional egg yolks
1/4 C sugar + 2 additional tsp
6 Tablespoons flour
4 Tablespoons Nutella
1/4 C chopped hazelnuts (garnish)
Strawberries, sliced (garnish)

Place butter and chocolate chips into a double boiler and allow to melt completely. Stir frequently.

While the chocolate butter is melting, place the eggs and sugar into the bowl of your mixer. With the whisk attachment, mix on medium-high speed until they become light and thick (about 8-9 minutes).

When light and thick, add the flour and mix together. Slowly and gradually pour the chocolate/butter mixture into the egg mixture, mixing on low until well combined and mixture develops a glossy sheen (about 5-6 minutes).

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While the mixture is finishing its final mixing (turning glossy), generously spray 4 small ramekins with cooking spray. When the batter is finished, it’s time to assemble.

Place your sprayed ramekins onto a cooking tray. Ladle batter halfway up the side of each ramekin. Then, spoon 1 tablespoon of Nutella into each ramekin. Finish ladling the remainder of the batter into each ramekin (do not overfill).

Bake ramekins for 10-14 minutes until the outside is solid and the top appears to be soft (but NOT jiggly).

While cakes are cooking, chop your hazelnuts and cut your strawberries. When cakes are ready, carefully remove them from the oven, place a plate on top of each one and quickly invert it. With a kitchen towel, remove the ramekin; cake should fall right out. Garnish with nuts and strawberries. Serve immediately.





Notes:
For some reason, I thought these little babies needed to bake for 25 minutes. So, the centers of my version weren't quite as gooey as I anticipated. But, they were absolutely delicious.

Week 22: Heart Sandwich Cookie

Thought I'd share this for three reasons.
1. I don't make dessert often enough.
2. Valentine's Day is coming.
3. It's another reason to use Nutella.

Everyday Food, January / February 2010, p. 124



1/2 C old-fashioned rolled oats
1 C all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/3 C whole-wheat flour
1/2 tsp coarse salt
3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 C packed light-brown sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla sugar
1/2 C chocolate-hazelnut spread (aka Nutella)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread oats on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in flour and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium until fluffy. Add vanilla; beat to combine. Scrape down bowl.

Add oat mixture; beat until blended.

Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough 1/8" thick, dusting lightly with flour as needed. Cut out cookies with a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter; place 1/2-inch apart on two parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake until cookies are golden around edges, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Repeat with remaining dough, chilling if too soft (re-roll and cut scraps).

Spread filling on flat side of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

To store, cover and keep at room temperature, up to two days.

Makes 30 sandwich cookies.

My notes:
The final product was very tasty and really cute. There were some rough patches along the way, though. The recipe asks to chill the dough for two hours. This resulted in dough that was too chilled to even roll out. It was a big mess! And, I didn't end up with anywhere near 30 sandwich cookies - more like 15 cookies. It's also possible that I didn't roll the dough at 1/8" thick. The fact is, 1/8" is really thin, and the dough was already difficult to work with. The end results was thicker cookies which required more Nutella. And, more Nutella isn't really a problem for me.

Week 2: Chocolate Torte with Nutella Mousse

Disclaimer.
I take absolutely no credit for this week's recipe. I found it posted on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen by bell'alimento



1 container (8 oz.) Heavy Whipping Cream
½ C Sugar, Divided
1 box(8 oz.) Cream Cheese (Softened)
2 Tablespoons Honey
½ C Nutella, Melted
1 box Chocolate Cake Mix + Ingredients to prepare
Fresh Raspberries, For Garnish

Use an electric mixer to mix whipping cream and 1/4 C sugar until it becomes whipping cream. Move to a separate bowl.

In its own bowl, mix cream cheese and 1/4 C sugar until creamy. While mixing, add honey.

Melt Nutella in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until warmed through. Add to cream cheese mixture. Fold whipped cream in to cream cheese mixture. Refirgerate for 30 minutes or until set.

Prepare cake mix according to box directions. Pour into a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 10 - 15 minutes. When cool, cut into circles with a large cookie cutter.

Finally, assembly the torte: cake, mousse, cake, mousse, raspberries.

For what it's worth. . . I did use a reduced-sugar cake mix and low fat cream cheese. And, the recipe called for three layers of cake and mousse, but I only used two. That's healthy eating, right?

Overall, this is a dessert that looks impressive and tastes great but is very easy to make. I did all the preparation and baking the night before and assembled just before eating.