Nutella Lava Cookies

Ok, so everyone already knows I LOVE CHOCOLATE. But Nutella and chocolate in combo?  System overload right?  When I heard about these cookies, I couldn't wait to make them.  Though I'm in the midst of nutritional cleansing program (no coffee or sugars or alcohol or processed foods),  I still  made these the other night and was quite proud of myself for not eating all 10 cookies. Rather, I hand-delivered them to a few of my friends.  Enjoy!

Yields:  8 large cookies

Ingredients:
2 oz (56 grams) chopped hazelnuts plus about 1 tablespoon unsalted butter**
3 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large egg
1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 scant teaspoon (a little less than 2 ml) salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (63 grams) lightly spooned and leveled flour
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) baking powder
8 teaspoons Nutella

1)  Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add chopped hazelnuts and sauté, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until aromatic.

2)  Remove nuts from skillet and lay on a piece of foil to cool and crisp.

3)  Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat.

4) Reduce heat to low and stir in chocolate chips. Stir until melted; remove from heat and let cool slightly.

5)  Beat the egg, sugar, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl for about 2 minutes using high speed of an electric hand-held mixer. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture.

6)  Thoroughly stir together the flour and baking powder, then stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture and nuts. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for an hour or more.

 7)  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

8)  Working one at a time, scoop up generous heaping tablespoons of dough and shape into a mounds a little larger than a golf ball.

9)  Press a hole into the mound and stuff it with a teaspoon of chilled Nutella. Seal the whole with some more dough.

10)  Place dough balls about 3 inches apart on lined baking sheet.

11)  Bake cookies one sheet at a time for exactly 12 minutes. Cool 3 to 5 minutes.


P-S- Thanks Marinas for forwarding the link to the Nutella cookies.

Brazilian Chicken & Shrimp in Tomato-Coconut Sauce

I finally made time to make myself homemade dinner.  Sometimes, I get so caught up with work, working out and running around that lately I found myself buying lunch/dinner  from my usual spots.  I missed how cooking made me feel calm.  I usually take my time in the kitchen and if anyone has ever cooked with me, you know I take F-O-R-E-V-E-R.   Better late than never though right?

I love coconut milk.  When I think of coconut milk, I remember my Grandmother's soups and dishes swimming in coconut milk and this immediately brings a warm feeling in my heart.  Not to mention the unstoppable watering & drooling that commences when I smell coconut milk.  Ok, you get the point, I love coconut milk.  It's raining outside and I wanted some comfort food.

This recipe came from Cuisine at Home Issue N. 67 Feb 2008

Yields:  2 servings
Total Time: 35 minutes



Cook:
1/2 cup of long grain white rice ( I opted for brown and of course it's going to take F-O-R-E-V-E-R)

Saute in 2 T. Olive Oil; Add:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with salt & pepper (5 -6 oz. each)
1 cup of onion
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 T. garlic, minced
1. T. red pepper flakes

Stir In; Add:
2 cups of tomatoes, chopped
1 cup coconut milk
6 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise (3 oz.)
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. fresh lime juice
Salt to taste

Garnish With:
Chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges

Cook rice according to package directions; keep warm.

Saute seasoned chicken in oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes.  Add onion, bell peppers, garlic, and pepper flakes.

Cover and cook until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and coconut milk; cover and cook until tomatoes begin to break down, about 5-6 minutes.

Add shrimp, scallions, cilantro and lime juice; cover and simmer until shrimp are cooked, 2-3 minutes.

Season with salt.

Spoon rice onto 2 serving plates, then divide chicken and sauce between them.

Garnish with cilantro and lime.

Chocolate Glazed Raspberry Cream Puffs

I made these with my best friend, Celina, last week for my coworkers.  You wouldn't expect for cream puffs to be so simple to make, but it really is.  Granted, it might be time consumning pipping each single puff out and then filling it with flavored-whipped cream goodness, the wait is worth the while.   You can stuff the puffs with almost anything you like, just change the jelly/preserve/jam to whatever flavor your hearts' desire. These are crowd pleasures, sure to disappear within two hours at a party or a gathering.  It is best to chill the cream puff before you serve them. 

There's no clear story to the origins of cream puffs.  Some claim its from the French and others claim its from the Brits.  Either way, give thanks for these delicate & wondrous pastries.

This recipe came from Food Everyday September 2010 Issue.

PASTRY PUFF RECIPE
Yields:  110 small puffs (1 teaspoon batter each) or
             60 medium (1 1/2 teaspoons each) or
             40 large (2 teaspoons each)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup (1 stick of UNSALTED butter)
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 4 large eggs

1)  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
2)  In a small saucepan, bring water, butter, and sugar to a boil over high.
3)  Immediately remove from heat.
4)  With a wooden spoon, stir in flour.  Continue to stir until mixture pulls away from sides of pan, about 2       minutes. 
5)  Let cool for 2 minutes.
6)  Add eggs, ONE AT A TIME, mixing after each addition until batter comes together.
7)  Transfer batter to a large zip-top bag; twist and squeeze bag so batter is in one corner.  With scissors, snip a 1/2 inch opening in corner (or use a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round plain tip).
8)  Pipe batter into desired size mounds, 1 inch apart, onto sheets.
9)  With a wet finger, smooth pointy tops.
10) Bake for 10 minutes. 
11) Reduce Oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until puffs are golden brown and feel light and hallow inside, 20-30 minutes.
12) Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE RECIPE RASPBERRY FILLING RECIPE:
Yields:  40 
 

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1/2 cup of raspberry jam
- 1 tablespoon of brandy (optional)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped


1)  Use a toothpick or skewer to make a 1/4 inch wide hole in bottom of each puff.
2)  In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream to firm peaks.  (This might take a while depending on how powerful your mixer is but the key is FIRM PEAKS)
3)  Fold in raspberry jam and brandy.
4) Transfer mix to a large zip-top bag and snip a 1/4 inch opening in one corner.
5)  Place cut corner of bag in hole in puff and squeeze to fill puff with cream mixture.
6)  Place filled puffs, hole down, on a rimmed baking sheet.
7)  Refrigerate puffs while you are making the glaze.
8)  In a medium heatproof bowl, combine chocolate and light corn syrup.
9)  In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to just a boil.
10) Immediately pour over chocolate and let sit 2 minutes.
11) Stir until mixture is smooth.
12) Dip top half of each puff into chocolate glaze (or pour on top).
13) Place puff glazed side up on baking sheet.
14)  Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
15)  EAT ALL NOW - just kidding.