Five Minute Chocolate Hazelnut Panna Cotta

If you want to say “I Love You” with food, is there a better ingredient to use than chocolate? I can’t think of one.

So, in honor of Valentine’s Day coming up, we are sharing some of our latest ways to whisper sweet nothings with chocolate.

I am a recent convert to pana cotta. The original Italian dessert is pretty flavorless, but the texture is amazingly soft, pillow-y and silky. When I saw a chocolate panna cotta recipe out there, I decided to  use Nutella as a shortcut – AND to add flavor.

The chocolate recipe I was thinking of making required melting in a double boiler. Then I thought of a pantry item that should swap out and make the dish even simpler to prepare: Nutella.

This is one of the simplest desserts you will ever make – if it takes you more than 5 minutes, you’re doing something wrong. And the flavors are superb.

Make this panna cotta and make your sweetie swoon!

– posted by Donna

Pinch My Salt made a Chocolate Hazelnut Panna Cotta with a chocolate hazelnut drink.

And, if you want to go vegan, you can still make panna cotta – check out Fig & Cherry’s Vegan Panna Cotta.

And, panna cotta for Christmas? Check out Baking Bites Eggnog Panna Cotta.

Vanilla and Clove Panna Cotta, Roost
Rose Panna Cotta, Cooking with the Single Guy
Panna Cotta with Blueberry Sauce, Inspired Taste
Pomegranate Lemon Panna Cotta, Use Real Butter

I love jam. Not just any jam but home made jam. Mess up your entire kitchen jam. Stick your feet to the kitchen floor jam. Make you feel like June Cleaver jam.

But, one problem: fruit is not plentiful and cheap in the last few days of the year. So. What about a winter jam?

I had seen Carrot Cake Jam recipes in magazines last fall, and was intrigued. Ooey gooey cinnamony jam that you can make in the dead of winter. Maybe they are on to something. And they were right – this really is carrot cake in jam form. Yum.

So, with family and friends staying for the holidays, giving you some extra hands in the kitchen, I say why not make some jam???

Happy New Year, Everyone!

CARROT CAKE JAM

Makes about 8 half-pints

1 1/2 cups finely grated peeled carrots
1 1/2 cups diced cored peeled pears
1 can (15 ounces) crushed pineapple, including juice
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 package powdered fruit pectin
4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

Combine carrots, pears, pineapple and juice, lemon juice, and spices in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Lower temperature to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add powdered pectin, incorporating well, and bring carrot mixture back to a boil. Add sugar all at once and return back to a full boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 full minute.

Ladle hot jam into prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

– posted by Donna

White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

One of the best flavor combos ever is orange and cranberry.

I came across this recipe in my assigned blog for the Secret Recipe Club this month, Life’s Simple Measures. Jess is coming up on her first year anniversary of blogging, and I must say she if off to a fabulous start! Her numerous cranberry recipes in the last few weeks alone show just how passionate about food blogging she is.

I chose her White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies recipe, and I just tweaked it a bit. I added 2 teaspoons of orange zest to the batter and I left off the frosting – Hey! I am on sugar overload ~ isn’t everyone right now?!  They don’t need it – they are already are moist and delicious, without the extra layer of sugar.

Santa just might get lucky this year -I’m switching up the cookies with these holiday blondies!

– posted by Donna

Check out the other fabulous secret recipes this month:

WHITE CHOCOLATE, CRANBERRY AND ORANGE ZEST BLONDIES

Wait no more. The time of year has come at last. NO, not Thanksgiving or Christmas themselves, but the magical day when Starbucks stores across the land start selling their limited-time-only Cranberry Bliss bars. Starbucks pastries are a mixed bag, in my humble, but this is one of their undeniable runaway hits – also sold by the full tray, if that gives you any indication. Today, in fact, those trays are on special for 50% off as part of the “12 Days of Giving”.

Most of you, as foodies, probably know exactly what I’m talking about, but if you haven’t had one of these, either run right out and pick one up  . . . or keep on reading here and try a homemade version that is also, yes, gluten-free!  Celiacs and other gluten sensitive folk can now partake in the joy, the mmm, the bliss that is Cranberry Bliss.

Of note: This happens to be egg-free as well, substituting flax for eggs works nicely in the base that is very much like a blondie, dense and moist; I used golden flaxseed meal for the purpose of color, but you can certainly use regular. I opted out on only one significant component: the crystallized ginger, saving a bit by increasing the ground ginger in the cake itself. On the white chocolate – I say this is one area to not skimp too much; I lucked out and Ghiradelli happened to be on special, but still, cheap white chocolate is just terrible.  Normally I am actually not crazy about white chocolate, like, at ALL, but there’s something about the tart cranberries and citrus and cream cheese that works beautifully with it. I really do enjoy it here. Oh, and I did want to work out a version that is also VEGAN, but because cream cheese is such a big component, I thought I’d best take it one step at a time.

GLUTEN-FREE CRANBERRY BLISS BARS

3 tablespoons flaxmeal (golden if you have it)
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
1 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 cup (heaping) chopped craisins
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×12 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Stir the flaxmeal into the warm water with a fork and let stand until thickened a bit – the time elapsed while creaming the butter and sugars and assembling some other prep should be fine.

In a large standing mixer, cream together butter or shortening and sugars. Add yogurt, flax and vanilla extract and continue mixing until incorporated. Stir dry ingredients (except craisins and chocolate) together in a separate bowl, then add to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until flour is incorporated. Fold in the craisins and white chocolate.

Spread the batter in the prepared  pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown . Cool completely, then top with frosting as per below!

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoons orange juice (plus the zest of the orange if freshly squeezed)
Additional 1/3 to 1/2 cup minced dried cranberries

Drizzle

1/4 cup white chocolate
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon milk

Stir cream cheese, sugar, juice and zest together. Melt chocolate over a double boiler or by 10 to 20 second increments in a microwave.

After smoothing the frosting over the cooked blondie base, sprinkle additional craisins generously over the top, and drizzle the melted white chocolate over everything with artistic diagonal slashes. To be all the more authentic, cut into large rectangles, and then bisect the rectangles diagonally to form jaunty triangles.

Needless to say, you will be the star of the party at any holiday event you bring these babies to, so please report back!

– posted by Anne

From our first Thanksgiving: A full Tofurky feast in all its glory.

I knew we HAD to be related when I found out we shared a favorite holiday: yes, the foodiest holiday of all, Thanksgiving!

Donna, we’ve come a long way since our first Thanksgiving together, haven’t we? This was the very first big holiday I got to attend with the rest of your family. I remember being a little worried about being the vegetarian in the midst*. Luckily, even the most traditional turkey dinner includes a veritable cornucopia of hearty sides that are naturally vegetarian, provided that the cooks make note to avoid adding meat products when they’re not central to the dish (i.e. using vegetable stock instead of chicken, etc), and provided that the diner is willing to forego the gravy if necessary. I remember reassuring you that I’d have plenty no matter what, but if we really wanted to go all out, there was always Tofurky.

Yes, for those who haven’t had the pleasure, it’s a stuffed tofu loaf that comes in a box complete with veggie gravy, tempeh drumsticks, and even a Tofurky jerky wishbone. Donna was both generous and game, and set out to procure a Tofurky for me. Lo and behold, it turned out that Tofurky was actually a local product, produced exactly where Donna lived at the time: Hood River Oregon.

We prepared it with love, to the amusement of her other kids (two of whom later became vegetarian themselves), joking that we should create a competing brand, Fauxturkey. And a holiday tradition was born. Little did we know that years later, Donna and I would co-author a tofu cookbook, kicking off our more formal foodie collaboration. Though I no longer eschew meat altogether (as long as it’s well-sourced whenever possible), Tofurky will always have a funky little place in my heart.

Without further ado, let us share some of our favorite recipes from our favorite holiday. Have a wonderful, delicious Thanksgiving, everyone!

BUTTERFLIED TURKEY WITH SPICY POMEGRANATE GLAZE

AWARD-WINNING SALSA WITH CRANBERRIES AND CLEMENTINES

 THANKSGIVING CANDY TURKEYS (Be sure to watch the video!)

ROASTED PUMPKIN & GARLIC SOUP WITH PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY & THYME

SMOKY CAULIFLOWER AND POBLANO GRATIN

PUMPKIN POLENTA with SPINACH, PECAN AND CRAISIN TOPPING

*Is no longer fully vegetarian, but still loves to eat much “vegetarian food”, as it’s some of the healthiest and most inventive stuff around.

Burgerville's Pumpkin Smoothie, even healthier!

One of the most wonderful things about moving to Portland is the local chain called Burgerville, beloved to all. Yes, I’m seriously speaking positively of what is essentially a fast food joint: They have all the treats and trappings of fast food, yet manage to turn many of the negatives about fast food completely inside out. When you throw out your trash, every restaurant has it divided into three bins: Recyclables, Landfill, and Compost. You read that right: COMPOST. They reuse all of their cooking oil as biodiesel. They offer, among many healthy yet seriously delicious choices, three different kinds of veggie burgers. They source their food locally, and they also include a rotating seasonal menu. So every fall, Portland residents look forward to sweet potato fries, salmon sandwiches, and pumpkin shakes and smoothies (all locally sourced, of course).

Those shakes and smoothies, are every bit as delectable as you can imagine. The ice cream shake is like an extra-custardy pumpkin pie in a glass, while the yogurt-based smoothie is a little tangy and a bit lighter overall.  But what about vegans, or those who are intolerant or sensitive to dairy? I thought I’d try making a dairy-free version at home.

And lo, it worked! I tried it first with silken tofu, which was just okay, then with hemp milk, which (although I love hemp milk in some things) didn’t work so well with the aftertaste factor; it was also a bit thin. Finally I tried coconut milk, and that was the ticket. Coconut milk is becoming my favorite cow’s milk subsititute for many reasons, including the health benefits of its good fat (I do recommend going with normal, not “light” coconut milk here, but do what you need to do).

So if you’ve got some extra pumpkin from your jack o’lanterns, or you’re craving pumpkin pie yet want something healthier, give this recipe a whirl. It would make a great leftover recipe after Thanksgiving, or even be a great addition to a turkey day breakfast!

Did I mention the EASY? It’s easy.

PUMPKIN SMOOTHIE A LA BURGERVILLE, MADE VEGAN

1 cup pumpkin
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
1 banana
1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar or maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6-8 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender and – take a guess  . . . that’s right, blend until smooth. That’s IT!

Note that you could, instead of the individual spices, use a pumpkin pie spice blend, approximately 1 tablespoon’s worth (you’ll have to taste test as you go). You could also freeze the banana in advance (I recommend doing do in pieces, rather than whole), and reduce the number of ice cubes a bit – see how icy you personally prefer.

– posted by Anne

Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding

What’s more comforting  and fall-ish than bread pudding? OK, I can up the ante: chocolate chunks in bread pudding with dulce de leche mixed in and drizzled on top. So warm and comforting.

Using dulce de leche feels almost like cheating as a cook. The rich, sweet gooey stuff takes most any dessert from OK to spectacular with so little effort. And, you need to check out Baking Obsession’s “explosion-free” trick for making your very own dulce de leche effortlessly in your slow cooker.

This is one of the best sweet bread puddings I have ever eaten. And trust me, I have sacrificed so much for all of you for years and years of consuming hundreds of bread puddings so that I could bring you the very best taste and texture.

And so, my friends, here it is. Sweet. Flavorful. Creamy. And just in case it’s not decadent enough, drizzled with extra dulce de leche.

DULCE DE LECHE CHOCOLATE CHUNK BREAD PUDDING

Prep Time 15 minutes
Bake Time 30 minutes

1 can (14 ounces) dulce de leche
2 1/2 cups milk
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate diced, or semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of slivered almonds
12 ounce loaf of egg bread or dense white bread, cut into 2 inch cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Set aside 1/4 cup of the dulce de leche. Bring to a simmer in a large saucepan the milk and remaining dulce de leche. Turn off heat. In a very large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla and salt. Slowly whick in hot milk mixture into eggs in large bowl.

Toss bread cubes in liquid in large bowl. Let sit 2 to 3 minutes, then toss again.

Spread half of soaked bread cubes into a buttered 8 by 10 baking dish. Sprinkle on half of chocolate and half of almonds. Repeat this process once.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until just set in center.

Serve warm, drizzled with reserved non-explosive dulce de leche.

Other to-die-for bread puddings from food blog colleagues:

Chocolate Bread Pudding from Wasabimon
Old Fashioned Bread Pudding from Gluten Free Easily
Arugula, Bacon and Gruyere Bread Pudding from Lottie and Doof
Panettone Eggnog Bread Pudding from Eclectic Recipes
Nutella Bread Pudding from Inspired Taste

 – posted by Donna

When it comes to Halloween treats – the easier the better I say. Halloween is truly the most fun when you have small children. They love the spookyness. They love the costumes. They mostly love the candy and treats.

Here, for your viewing pleasure,  are a few of my favorite photos from The Kelly Family Halloweens past. Yes, that’s me as Little Red Riding Hood with The Hubs as The Wolf. Pure corn, I know.

But, with all the Creepy Crawly Craziness, there is little time for making homemade treats.

Oreos to the rescue! Hey, why not? They’re already appropriately black with ghostly white centers.

It’s only a few days until the spookiest day of the year.

So, here’s the recipe: the WHOLE recipe: Melt white chocolate. Put a wooden stick into an Oreo and dip it in melted white chocolate. Decorate to look Halloween-y.

That’s it. Really.

Happy Hauntings, Everyone!

Check out our other Halloween eats. And our two Halloween cheeseballs.

And, check out some other SUPER easy last-minute  Halloween treats:
Mummy Cookies, Never Enough Thyme
Jack-o-Lantern Cheeseball, Everyday Southwest
Stuffed Pepper Jacks, Spabetti
Monster Marshmallows, Within the Kitchen
Candy Corn Pretzel Sticks, Cooking for my Kids
Pumpkin Spice Rice Crsipie Treats, Nutmeg Nanny

– posted by Donna

I have the most amazing husband on the planet earth. I have been treated like a queen every single day of my 34 year (and counting) honeymoon.

So, you will understand when I tell you that there is no better reason to cook fabulous food than to make Jim smile. The best thing about Jim as a sounding board/critic is that he loves me enough to be honest. Truly Honest. “This-dish-stinks” kind of honest.

So, when he tasted the banana pudding dish that I made this weekend, it was a great moment  for me when he closed his eyes, smiled and said “This is heaven.”
Classic banana pudding, an Americanized banana trifle recipe popular in the 1950s and 1960s, is layers of vanilla wafers, pudding, whipped cream and bananas. Jim ate this dish along with the rest of Americans a kid and this recipe topped his food memory. The secret, I’m convinced, is the homemade pudding, and not using the store-bought box. It is truly write-home-about remarkable.

I was given the blog A Spoonful of Thyme as part of this month’s Secret Recipe Club challenge. California blogger Kate shared a Roasted Banana Pudding recipe and I made her recipe to a “T” except I caramelized the banana slices with a little butter and brown sugar in a hot skillet instead of roasting them. Kate’s pudding was fresh and flavorful and light – delightful. Thanks, Kate, for a recipe that I memorized and will use again and again for dessert deliciousness!

– posted by Donna

CARAMELIZED BANANA PUDDING 

• 5 ripe unpeeled medium bananas (about 2 pounds)
• 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 2/3 cup sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed and divided (or, whip your own cream)
• 45 vanilla wafers, divided

• Place bananas on a jelly-roll pan covered with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove 3 bananas; cool completely. Peel and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Bake the remaining 2 bananas at 350° for an additional 20 minutes. Carefully peel and place the 2 bananas in a small bowl, and mash with a fork until smooth.
• Combine milk and 1/3 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer (do not boil).
• Combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt, and eggs in a medium bowl; stir well with a whisk. Gradually add hot milk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 3 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add mashed bananas, butter, and vanilla, stirring until butter melts. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 15 minutes or until mixture comes to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Fold half of whipped topping into pudding.
• Spread 1 cup custard evenly over the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Top with 20 vanilla wafers and half of the banana slices. Spoon half of remaining custard over banana. Repeat procedure with 20 wafers, banana slices, and custard. Spread remaining half of whipped topping evenly over top. Crush remaining 5 wafers; sprinkle over top. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.

This is Not-Your-Mama’s apple dessert. Not even close. This is a sweet dessert version of onion rings. Sweet. Crispy. Dipped in a cinnamon cream “ketchup.” These are not just good, they are OhMyGosh Amaaaazing.

THIS JUST IN: These decadent sweet rings just won a contest at Better Recipes in their apple dessert category! The folks at BR tested and photographed our recipe and chose it as their winner! Check out their post!

How does my brain think of these things?

Let me explain.

I love crave worship daydream about onion rings. They are one of my very most favorite guilty pleasures. In fact, when choosing a burger joint, I always choose the one with the best onion rings. Burgers are burgers, but onions rings, well . . . they are a culinary wonder. When apples are in full delicious seasonal glory, I love making these rings that were inspired by one of my late-night onion ring cravings.

If you own a set of varying size biscuit cutters use them  to make these rings by cutting  the apple slices into rings of different shapes.  If you don’t, just core the peeled apples and then slice them into thin, flat circles.

Make sure you peel the apples first before starting, because the batter won’t stick to the apple peel. Then dip and fry. You must watch closely, so the rings don’t cook too quickly, but really, that’s the only tricky part.

Drizzle with your favorite syrup or warm caramel sauce. A Meatless Monday fall treat!

Then, just sit back and wait for the Oooohs and Aaaahs.

Happy Apple Season, Everyone!

One important tip: Don’t skip the apple peeling step!!! If you leave the peel on the apples, the batter won’t stick to them while cooking in hot oil. (Trust me on this – I learned the hard way! – it will be a disaster!)

Just slice the apple into 1/2 inch slices.

Then, make the rings by using biscuit or cookie cutters of different sizes.

Then, just dip into batter and fry just like you would onion rings!

Other food bloggers’ take on  apple pie:
Mini Apple Pies, Barbara Bakes
Apple Cheddar Turnovers, Cookin Canuck
Johnny Appleseed Bars, Eats Well with Others
Nutty Apple Tarts, Family Fresh Cooking
Vegan Caramel Apple Pie, Healthy Happy Life
Classic Apple Pie, Brown Eyed Baker
Crumb Topped Apple Pie, Baking Bites

DESSERT APPLE RINGS

Prep and cook time: 40 to 50 minutes

Serves 4 to 6.

1 large egg white
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled
Canola oil for frying
Cinnamon sugar for garnishing
Caramel sauce, warmed

Whisk egg until frothy and then whisk in water and vanilla. Whisk in flour and salt and let sit while slicing apples.

Slice peeled apples into 1/2 inch thick slices across the apple’s diameter (you will get about 4 slices per apple). Using varying sized biscuit cutters, cut “rings” out of apple slices so that the rings are a little thicker than 1/4 inch each, discarding smallest circle containing core.

Heat oil to 350 degrees. (Caution: Don’t let oil get too hot – your rings will burn quickly. If rings are cooking too quickly, lower the heat of the oil a bit.)

Dip apple rings into batter, letting excess drip off. Cook in oil in small batches, turning frequently to monitor browning. When the rings turn golden brown, remove to a plate and while still hot sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Serve immediately with warm drizzled caramel sauce. Makes 16 apple rings – serves 4 to 6.

CINNAMON CREAM SYRUP

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Serve warm.

– posted by Donna