Nutella Crepe Cake, for his 30th!!!

If you follow me on instagram and facebook you would have got a glimpse of the cake that I made for the huss for his 30th birthday. I wanted to surprise him and I was browsing for ideas in pinterest and the crepe cake kinda caught my attention. Its something that I have never tried before and I knew that the 30 layers would definitely surprise him. I first thought of using white chocolate ganache because the huss adores white chocolate but since the crepes are plain I was doubtful on the flavor combination and so I settled for nutella.

I wouldn't say that the cake is a breeze to make cos you have to make 30 perfect crepes then layer it with a thin coating of frosting taking care not to break the fragile crepes and then frost the whole thing patiently. But trust me its worth all the effort. The melt in the mouth crepes with that smooth and creamy ganache is definitely gonna bowl over the person for whom you are making this and not to forget the surprise that he is in for when cuts through the cake.

~*What U Need*~ For the crepes ~ adapted from Alton Brown Large eggs - 2 All purpose flour - 1 cup Milk - 3/4 cup Water - 1/2 cup Butter - 3 tbsp, melted Sugar - 2 1/2 tbsp Vanilla - 1 tsp For the Nutella Gananche ~ my own recipe Nutella - 118 g Semi sweet chocolate - 82 g Heavy cream - 110 g How I Made it: Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 10 seconds. Refrigerate the batter for 1 hour. Heat a small non stick skillet on medium high and butter the pan. Pour 1/8 cup of the batter into the centre of the pan and swirl to spread the batter evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds. Remove the crepes and leave them to cool on a wire rack. chopping board. Once cooled, you can stack them in ziplock bags and store it in the fridge for several days. For the ganache, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat till the chocolate and nutella melts. Cool and use it in between the crepes like frosting and cover the sides of the crepe cake. Let the cake chill till needed and decorate as needed before serving.

Cut and serve!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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Nutella Brownies for 3 years of blogging

I had to post this atleast before the month ends. Yes, theres a reason, no there are two reasons. You know one of them ~ the 22nd. Just 3 more months and our prince is gonna be '2'. Yes, he is gonna reach "the terrible twos" in another 3 months and I have started thinking about birthday themes. Not that he is not terrible now, he is one naughty boy and he wonders us everyday with his daily pranks. To us our boy has already started his era of terrible twos and is taking every bit of it seriously.

Moving on to the second reason, its been 3 years of boo-ti-ful blogging. Yes, 3 years of on and off blogging. I have never held on to a passion so sincerely and this blog baby is so special to me for that reason. Blogging has introduced me to so many people who have been there no matter what. Blogging has introduced me to different cuisines and I have never been hesitant to try new foods. And then there is baking. I would have never found my passion for baking had it not been for blogging. I take this chance to thank all my boo-ti-ful readers for all the support that you have been giving me throughout my blogging journey.

Coming to these brownies, as much I love brownies, I never try them that frequently. They are loaded with calories in every bite and the amount of butter that goes into creating a brownie makes me to bake it only as an occasional treat. So when it was time to bake for the 22nd along with the "blogiversary", I started going through my BROWNIES pinterest board. These nutella brownies seemed to be calling out my name by every letter and so I set out baking explaining every little action to pappu who seemed to be hooked to the whole brownie baking episode.

The brownies turned out perfect with that crackled crust and chewy fudgy centre. The waiting time was daunting by every second and we got restless with every ticking second. Finally we got to cut it after 15 mins, one bite and we went weak on the knees. It was every bit a brownie had to be and pappu enjoyed it dancing around as he munched on his treat. And then I decided, from next month on it is gonna be a brownie/blondie for the 22nd of every month.

Adapted from here Prep time: 15 mins; Cooking time: 30 mins; Makes: 9-16 ~*What U Need*~ All purpose flour - 1/2 cup Cocoa powder - 6 tbsp Sugar - 1 cup, scant Butter - 1/2 cup, I used salted Vanilla - 1 tsp Eggs - 2, room temperature Baking powder - 1/4 tsp Salt - a pinch, skip if using salted butter Nutella - 1/2 cup Walnuts - 1/4 cup How I Made it: Preheat oven to 350F and line a 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper. Leave some paper hanging on either sides of the pan for easy removal of brownies. Sieve flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Meanwhile melt the nutella using a double boiler method or in your microwave till runny. Melt butter in a saucepan. (I don't know why I used a double boiler. Don't be like me.). Then whisk in sugar and vanilla. When slightly cooled beat in one egg at a time till fully combined. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture until fully combined. Stir in melted nutella. Fold in walnuts. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 mins. A toothpick inserted should come out with some moist crumbs and no wet batter. Let cool completely atleast overnight.

Dig in with some cold milk.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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Nutella Oatmeal | Happy Mother's day | Oats Recipes

What do you do when you have that last tablespoon of nutella??? you simply lick it off, atleast thats what I do... What do you do when you have that last tablespoon of nutella and your mum standing by the side ready to fight for that last serve??? You make a dish that could be shared between the two, like this oatmeal. Its easy, its too good and its a good way to sneak in nutella for breakfast.

BTW, advanced HAPPY MOTHER's DAY to all. I stay away for the system on weekends and so the early post. And do you know, I have started getting mother's day gifts too... from the huss ofcourse. It was a lovely glass cake pedestal last year which you have been seeing in many of my baking posts and this year some cookbooks which I have been eyeing for some time. And now to the hardest part, me gifting something to amma. There is nothing specific that she wants and that makes the gift-choosing part really hard. The only thing that she has been asking for, for a really really long time is the sizzling brownie from CCD and thats what am gonna get her and its definitely gonna be an eat-out night for us.

Now this oatmeal, I made this some time back when I made a bowl of cinnamon oatmeal for our my breakfast and amma refused her share. I had that final tbsp of nutella in my jar and so I made this for her. She loved it, to the core and said it was like eating dessert for breakfast and since then we have been making this. Not with the last tablespoon but with jars picked specifically for this. Amma loves having this for breakfast and this is what am planning for her mother's day breakfast.

And guys there's another news that I wanted to share... My apple walnut cake got featured in the Cooking doctor's first newsletter(it's a mother's day special too)... Thanks Jehanne for the mention, it is one of my proudest momemts. Friends, do check out her newsletter, its got some gorgeous pictures and awesome recipes.

~*What U Need*~ Quick Cooking Oats - 1 cup Nutella - 2 tbsp, heaped Milk - 1 cup Brown sugar or sugar - 3 tbsp Chocolate chips - as needed(optional) Nuts,apple slices, banana slices - to garnish

How I Made it:
Boil milk in a saucepan. Add oats and cook till done. Add sugar and cook till dissolved.

Add nutella and whisk till melted and combined. Once done, remove from flame. Pour into serving bowls and top with apple or banana slices, nuts or chocolate chips or another dollop of nutella when hot.

Serve hot or warm!!!

** My Notes:
** You could use almond or soy milk for a vegan version
** Some toasted almonds will add a great crunch.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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Whole Wheat Calzones ~ Two Ways

Thanks to all who took time to wish for the kid's birthday. It was so kind of you and IWe love you all for that. It was a great day for me and the party was a big hit. The theme was blue and everything from the cake to the decorations to the party wear were shades of blue. People loved it and the kid enjoyed getting pampered. We were showered with love and blessings and thats what mattered the most. Post party cleaning was a big pain and I am taking it slowly. Almost everything has been tidied up and life is slowly coming back to normal.

The kid is one year old, its as if only yesterday we were blessed with our prince. Time is running real fast and before we could even realise, hes gonna grow up really big, throwing crazy questions at us leaving us speechless. I am so looking forward to those times. Now that he naps less and walks, I am not sure how I am gonna keep up with the monthly bake here after. If not a bake atleast a sweet or dessert will be made on the 22nd of every month and shared ofcourse.

Coming back to the post, I have become lazy post his birthday and have not cooked anything new. These calzones were made some time back for our breakfast as I had some left over sweet corn and quarter of a capsicum. The stuffing made up for only two calzones and so for the remaining one I scooped a tbsp of nutella and some strawberry preserve. Believe me we loved the later. It was sweet, chocolaty and tart which made it all the more tempting...

~*What U Need*~ Whole wheat flour - 1 cup All purpose flour - 1/4 - 1/2 cup Active dried yeast - 1 tsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Olive oil - 1 tbsp Warm water - 1/2 cup Filling: Sweet corn - 1/2 cup Capsicum - 1/2 cup Onion - 1/4 cup, finely chopped Salt, pepper - to season Italian Seasoning - 1 tsp Pizza sauce - 1 tbsp Mayo - 1 tsp Cheese, grated - 1/4 cup Nutella - 1 tbsp Strawberry preserve - 1 tbsp

How I Made it:
Mix everything under filling and set aside. In a small cup, mix lukewarm water, sugar, oil, yeast and salt. Let rest till frothy for 10 mins. In a mixing bowl, add whole wheat and all purpose flour.

Add the yeast mixture and knead to a soft, non-sticky elastic dough. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with damp cloth and allow to rise for 45-60 mins.

Once the dough had risen, punch down the air and divide into 3 equal balls. Take one ball, on a well floured surface n using rolling pin roll into circle. Add the filling in the center, fold the filling using the other half and press the edges using finger or with fork. Make sure u have sealed the edges tightly and properly. Make 2-3 slits on top and brush the top with milk or egg wash and place it on iron pan or greased baking tray.

For the nutella calzone, add 1 tbsp nutella and 1 tbsp strawberry preserve in the center and repeat as above. Bake at 375F (190C) for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.

Serve warm with some freshly squeezed orange juice...

** My Notes:
** These make a healthy and great breakfast option.
** Add more vegetables to make it more heavier.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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Strawberry Curd & Nutella Strawberry Curd Brushcetta

I have a thing with fruit curds, I love them, I drool over them when I see them popping across blogs but I have never tried them. Its nothing but fear ~ fear that the curd might get scrambled. Am never fast, you know and so continuous whisking is never my league. Another reason, standing in front of the stove for a continuous 15 mins is never my kid's thing. He hates it, literally and he starts wailing by the 5th minute. And so I never attempted making a fruit curd.

Now if I had the nerve to try any fruit curd then it would have been a sensational orange curd. But see what I have done here, strawberry curd ~ till date I have never browsed for anything of this genre. But the 4 mini-cartons of strawberry that I had purchased during my last week grocery shopping were starting to wilt (okay, I am a mad strawberry picker, I accept that fact ;)) and amma was yelling of getting bored with the tall glasses of berry smoothies that I have been throwing at her every morning in the name of healthy breakfast smoothies.

And so I set to make strawberry jam over the weekend. Midway chopping, amma peeked into the kitchen and when I told her that a jam was in the making, there she was with her don't-you-ever-use-so-much-sugar tantrum. And so I had to come up with a preserve that uses minimal sugar but can sit in the fridge for a minimum of 1 week. That was when the 'curd' idea came up and I started browsing for recipes. Every single recipe that I came across made a big batch of curd and what I was looking for was a tester. So after going through this and predominantly this here I am with my version of strawberry curd. It was sweet but not overpoweringly sweet and the strawberry flavor was just there. I tried them on toasts, butter croissants but I loved the nutella bruschetta the most.

~*What U Need*~ Strawberries - 1 cup, chopped Sugar - 2 tbsps Egg yolk - 1, medium Water - 1 tbsp Butter - 2 tbsp Lemon juice - 1 tsp(optional)

How I Made it:
In a bowl, add the chopped strawberries and 1 tbsp sugar and set aside for 15 mins. Puree it and strain to remove the seeds.

In a small saucepan, add the strawberry puree and 1 tbsp water. Over medium heat, allow to cook till mushy and soft, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining sugar and butter and stir till melted, remove from heat.

In a wide bowl, whisk the egg yolk till smooth. Add 1 tbsp of the hot strawberry mixture and whisk to temper the egg. Add the remaining mixture and whisk till smooth.

In a double boiler, cook till the curd thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour curd into a clean jar. Let cool, then cover and chill.

Serve with toasted french bread or hot croissants or simple toasts.

** My Notes:
** It will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.
** This makes around 3/4th cup of curd
** The recipe can be easily doubled for a larger batch.
** I skipped the lemon juice.

Nuttella Strawberry curd bruschetta ~ its simple, you dont need a recipe for this. Slice a french baguette as desired, toast with some butter, smear nutella as needed, top with strawberry curd and slices of banana. Serve!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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Hot Nutella / Nutella Hot Chocolate | Happy Women's day

♥Happy Women's day to all the wonderful ladies♥

Woman
~ assures everything is alright when it is not
~ stands for her poise though there is doubt
~ loves passionately like there is no end to it
~ comforts even when a situation turns worst

I am proud to be born a girl, and now "a woman". If at all anyone out there who thinks that the life of a woman is plightful, then question your thoughts cos she is the most exotic creature in the world and she can handle anything with ease. I thank the creator for giving me a blessed life to live in the form of a woman. Every child sees her first love in his/her mother and she is the bestest woman in the world for her. I am a woman now, a fully grown, responsible woman but I am still a kid to my mom and I love that. The relationship is still the same, post marriage and even post-child-birth. She loves her grandson but its always me ~ always been and always will. Moms are always the best.♥♥

I love my mom, she loves nutella and so I made a hot glass of nutella to go with her toast. I have been making this for a long time to go with our banana breads. But its always been a single cup for the huss. Not that I don't love nutella, I ♥ Nutella but in milk, I always felt it to be an overdose. And so its always for the huss. He wants it to be hot and hot in the sense "steaming" and so it never got photographed properly. And today again, I wanted to give her a steaming cup and so I didn't go for the shoot. I rummaged through my folders and picked a few from the past and those have made here. I wanted to give you what I made for the day and so make-do with these photos. I will update the pictures the next time I make it.

~*What U Need*~ Milk - 1 cup Sugar - 1 tsp Salt - a very small pinch Nutella - 2 tbsp Cream - 1/4 cup (optional)

How I Made it:
Heat milk and sugar in a saucepan. Add 2 tbsps of hot milk to the nutella and whisk till you get a smooth mixture. Stir in the remaining milk and whisk. Return the nutella milk and cream(if using, if not substitute same amount of milk) to the saucepan and heat.

Serve hot!!!

** My Notes:
** Top with whipped cream or marshmallows when serving.
** You could add a tsp of cocoa powder too.
** The cream gives a richness but you can replace it with milk also.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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