Frozen Nutella Mousse {World Nutella Day}

Every February 5th, rain or shine, is World Nutella Day! Or at least it has been the last few years. :) I like to make up a new Nutella recipe each year to celebrate. {Do you love Nutella? Or do you prefer another version or make it yourself?} Last year I made Nutella Oatmeal Bars.

This year's recipe is oh so simple. I just adapted my Frozen Chocolate Mousse recipe.

Frozen Nutella Mousse

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup Nutella {or other chocolate-hazelnut spread}
Milk to thin Nutella

Measure out Nutella into small bowl. Add a little milk and stir until well-mixed and smooth. Continue stirring in small amounts of milk until consistency is similar to chocolate syrup. Set aside.

Whip heavy whipping cream in mixing bowl until fairly stiff {not too long or you'll have butter!}. Pour in Nutella sauce, about a third at a time, and gently fold into whipped cream until evenly mixed. Mound into cupcake cups or other serving dishes, cover, and place in freezer. Freeze at least 4 hours, until firm. Makes 6-8 small servings. Recipe can be doubled.

Thaw at room temp about 10 minutes before eating. Enjoy!

I decided to use a handy dandy Pampered Chef gizmo and pipe my mousse into the cups this time. But I usually mound it - it's simple elegance either way!

Stop by nutelladay.com to see what all the fuss is about! World Nutella Day is hosted each year by Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso. They declare February 5th “World Nutella Day 2014″ – a day to celebrate, to get creative with, and most importantly, to EAT Nutella.

And if you need more Nutella ideas, you can try my other recipes:

~ Nutella Macadamia Cake

~ Nutella Biscotti
~ Nutella Popcorn
~ Mini Nutella Cheesecakes
~ Nutella S'Mores Cake
~ Nutella Bites

What's your favorite Nutella recipe? Or do you just eat it with a spoon {I prefer to use pretzels}? 

Have a blessed day, friends!

You CAN Rescue A Recipe ~ Pumpkin Pie Truffles

If I can rescue a recipe, then you can too! And oh my, this was a happy and yummy rescue! But before we get to that one, let's talk about rescuing recipes in general.

The first way to rescue the recipes is to avoid mistakes in the first place, of course! Here's an article from Real Simple: How to Fix 17 Basic Cooking Mistakes. I also recommend reading each recipe carefully before you start cooking. If I would have paid closer attention a few times, I would have realized that a measurement or two didn't sound right before I started mixing ingredients together. And then I wouldn't have had to throw away the super salty Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins - sigh.

There are ways to fix recipes when you already know you've messed up as you're making the food. This is a great article that give you several rescue ideas: How to Fix Kitchen Flops. Sometimes it just means getting creative and thinking outside the box - like when a cake falls apart while taking it out of the pan. Not only could you use the pieces to make a trifle, but you could also cut it into cubes and serve with melted chocolate and whipped cream to dip into! Or crumble it all and mix with frosting to make some cake balls to dip in chocolate - yum.

This was my recent recipe rescue. I was making Pumpkin Truffles, but the mixture wouldn't firm up enough to form into balls. {I believe this is a problem due to the "white" chips in the stores mainly being vanilla chips instead of white chocolate. The vanilla chips are too *melty*.} I could not throw away that mixture - what was I to do? A friend who recently had the same issue said that she made hers into a pie, but mine was too runny even for that. Finally - light bulb! I would add graham cracker crumbs to the mixture until it was bulky enough to make into balls. It worked! And the truffles were FABULOUS. Maybe even yummier than the original. I call the new version Pumpkin Pie Truffles.

Pumpkin Pie Truffles

2 1/2 cups vanilla chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4-1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 cups dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons oil {I used coconut oil}
Ground nutmeg for garnish

Combine vanilla chips and cream in saucepan. Stir over low heat until chips melt completely. Remove from heat. Stir in pumpkin and spice until smooth and blended. Chill mixture in refrigerator for at least an hour. Stir in graham cracker crumbs until mixture is thick enough to roll into balls and hold shape. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place on wax paper. Place pumpkin pie balls in freezer for 15 minutes or so. Reshape slightly if necessary.

Combine dark chocolate chips and oil. Gently heat {in microwave or in bowl over simmering water on stove} until chocolate is melted. Dip chilled pumpkin pie balls into melted chocolate and coat thoroughly. Place back on wax paper to set up. Sprinkle tops with nutmeg while still wet, if desired. Store on wax paper in covered container in refrigerator.

Watch out - these beauties disappear very quickly! I've even had more than one person tell me I should sell them. Seriously though, you don't need to buy any because you CAN make these! I would not have ever attempted them if they were really difficult. Trust me. I gotta say - you'd be a big hit if you showed up at Thanksgiving dinner with these!

So if you have a recipe going all wrong, don't just give up on it! Try to rescue it. You never know, you might come up with your new favorite thing. :)

You CAN rescue a recipe!

Have you experienced recipe failures that you had to throw away? Have you successfully rescued a recipe? What new recipes have you created because of rescues? Share in the comments!

This post linked to:
 ~ Whimsy Wednesday at The NY Melrose Family 
 ~ WFMW at We Are THAT Family

Day 21 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

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Have a blessed day friends!

15 Recipes With Chocolate Chips

Raise your hands if you like chocolate chips!

Well, I don't know about you, but I had both hands raised. Way up. Chocolate chips are little drops of happiness sprinkled in the big pan of Life. <==Oh, I totally think you should click here to Tweet This! {especially since I just figured out how to do "Tweet This" thanks to my trusty Blog Tips Pinterest Board} :)

Here are a few yummy chocolate chip recipes for you to enjoy:

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Chocolate Chip Pecan {Sour Cream} Cake

No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Shortbreads

Coffee Blondies with a Shot of Chocolate

Double Delicious Cookie Bars

German Chocolate Cookie Pizza

Refrigerator Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rich Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

Sand Art Brownies

Chococarmaccino

What's your favorite recipe with chocolate chips? Share a link in the comments!
 
This post linked to:
 ~ Chic & Crafty Party at The Frugal Girls
 ~ I'm Lovin' It at TidyMom

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Have a blessed day filled with chocolate chips, friends!

My Favorite Things Monday {7/15}

I'm joining up with the lovely September from One September Day for something fun! She hosts My Favorite Things Monday - an opportunity to share your favorites and find out what others love at the same time.

My recent favorites...

1. My hubs and son were gone this past week to Boy Scout summer camp, so I had a couple friends over one evening to watch a movie {October Baby - so so good}. Of course we had to have some treats! I wanted something that I already had ingredients for, something easy to make ahead, and something that was gluten-free for one of those friends. Used one of my fave easy desserts - Frozen Chocolate Mousse! It's so simple and yummy too.

2. We recently saw the movie Despicable Me 2 - so cute and funny! I just love those minions! So when I saw The Frugal Girls mention the free Android app for my phone, I just had to download it! I don't usually put games on my phone. But since I've had it on there, I play it almost every day for a couple minutes. And there's only 1 reason - because it makes me smile and laugh every time. :) Smiling and laughing are definitely on my list of favorite things!

 {I have the pic linked to the free Android version, but they also have it for iphones.}

3. One of our fave places to pick up fast food is Chipotle. I could eat there every week! Now we've got in the habit of ordering it online and having son walk in and pick up the order - super fast & easy! This is my fave thing to order - the chicken fajita bowl. When I'm being low-carb, I skip the rice and get fajita veggies, chicken, mild salsa, cheese, and sometimes lettuce. When I'm being rebellious, I start off with the super yummy cilantro-lime rice! Their tortilla chips are delish too, with some sort of sea salt & lime on them, I think. Have you ever had food from Chipotle?

I should also mention that at one time we were noticing an issue at the location we usually go to with the fajita veggies. They were always running out! They would either try to give us hardly any in our bowl or we would have to wait for them to make a fresh batch. We couldn't figure out why they never had another batch ready to go. Anyway, after it happened to us almost every time we went, hubs finally sent an e-mail to the company about it. They did respond and sent us a couple gift cards. But better than that? They took care of the issue! Not one time since then have we had any issues with fajita veggies! It was obvious that they took the info seriously and solved the problem. Very impressive. Any company with excellent customer service like that gets an A+ in my book. Thanks, Chipotle! :)

What are some of your favorite things? {And if you post about them, be sure to go link up at September's blog!}

Have a blessed day friends!

Frozen Coconut Tres Leches Mocha

I know. You're welcome. Perfect for a hot summer day!

The interesting thing about blogging recipes the last few years is that it's helped me step out of my comfort zone. I saw a recipe in a magazine {a page I tore out a few years ago & saved} and recently thought - what if I change that, add that & that, and do it this way instead? I never would have even tried something like that in the past. But I'm oh so glad I did, because this.is.yummy.

Technically, my version here is Quatro Leches because I added half & half to it - bonus! I'm all about giving my readers more. :) The other great thing is that it makes a pitcher of the drink, which you can blend in batches to serve. So make it ahead, chill it, and invite your friends over!

Frozen Coconut Tres Leches Mocha

2 cups milk
1 cup half & half
1 can {14 oz} unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 packets Starbucks Via instant coffee {or 4 heaping teaspoons instant coffee}
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: 4 tablespoons Torani coconut syrup or 1-2 teaspoons coconut extract
Toppings: whipped cream, toasted coconut, mini chocolate chips

In saucepan, combine milk, half & half, coconut milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a simmer over med-low heat, stirring occasionally. Whisk in cocoa powder and instant coffee until well-combined.

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and optional coconut flavorings. Adding in the optional flavorings helps give it that extra coconut punch! Cool at room temp for 20 minutes. Pour into pitcher and chill well in refrigerator. Mixture is good for a day or two. {I tried some after 3 days and it was going bad.} Recipe can be cut in half if needed.

When ready to serve, simply blend chilled mixture with desired amount of ice. I used a Magic Bullet - put ice to the max line, then poured in liquid to top of ice and blended well. Add desired toppings. Can also be served as an iced mocha, but I find it too similar to a glass of chocolate milk. Blending takes it to the next level!

What's your favorite blended drink?

If you like blended drinks, you might also enjoy:
 ~ Chococarmaccino
 ~ Mocha Oatmeal Frappe
 ~ Creamy Root Beer Freeze
 ~ Fruity Lemonade Slush {posted at The Frugal Girls}

This post linked to:
 ~ WFMW at We Are THAT Family
 ~ Chic & Crafty Party at The Frugal Girls
 ~ I'm Lovin' It at TidyMom 

Have you connected with Stop and Smell the Chocolates on Facebook yet? Come say hi!

Have a blessed and refreshing day friends!

Mexican Chocolate Sheet Cake

I found this recipe on the internet years ago {you know, before blogs existed!}. Having no experience with sheet cakes like this, I thought for sure I was doing something wrong the first time I made it! How does pouring liquid on a cake make frosting, I wondered? But oh...it does. And it's sooooo good. I made this cake for Cinco de Mayo this year, but you really can make it anytime - maybe for an upcoming picnic or barbecue? Mmmmm....

You know what? Turns out it's really hard to pour something from a heavy bowl with 1 hand while trying to snap a pic with the other! :)

Mexican Chocolate Sheet Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 disks Ibarra Chocolate {Mexican chocolate}*
1/2 cup butter, cut up
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9x13 in. pan. {My directions say to line the bottom with wax paper and grease & flour the paper, which I do but don't really see how it's necessary if you just flour the pan itself!}

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl. In medium bowl, whisk cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth. Stir cocoa mixture into dry ingredients, using a spatula. In separate medium bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and cooled melted butter. Whisk buttermilk mixture into cocoa mixture until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

To make frosting: Place Ibarra chocolate and cut-up butter in medium microwaveable bowl. Cover bowl, leaving a vent. Microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes, until chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth. Add cream. Cover and microwave 1 1/2 minutes more, just until cream is hot. Stir until frosting is completely smooth and shiny. {You can do all the melting in a double-boiler on the stove, if you prefer.}

After cake comes out of oven, cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Pour frosting evenly over hot cake. Sprinkle toasted pecans over the top. Cool cake completely. Try not to eat the whole thing yourself. :)

*You can substitute for the Ibarra chocolate by using 4 1/2 ounces of semi sweet chocolate squares, finely chopped, plus 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.

If you like chocolate & cinnamon together, you might also like:
 ~ Dark Mocha-Chocolate Cake
 ~ Chocolate Cinnamon Bread

Have you made cakes like this?

This post linked to:
 ~ Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
 ~ Chic & Crafty Party at The Frugal Girls
 ~ I'm Lovin' It at TidyMom 

Have a blessed day friends!

World Nutella Day ~ Nutella Oatmeal Bars

Today is World Nutella Day! Woo Hoo!! As if we needed an excuse to eat a little extra Nutella. :) {If you haven't had Nutella - why not? You can even make your own version if you don't like the ingredients list!}

World Nutella Day was started by Ms Adventures in Italy and Bleeding Espresso. It has grown over the years and now you can check out all the fun and over 700 Nutella recipes at World Nutella Day! 

In honor of World Nutella Day each year, I like to share a new recipe with you. Last year was Nutella Macadamia Cake. This year? These easy, super delish bars.

Nutella Oatmeal Bars

1 cup flour
1 cup quick oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
13 oz. jar of Nutella {or other Chocolate-Hazelnut spread}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1/2 cup of flour mixture. Press remaining flour mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x9x2 inch baking pan.

Set aside 2-3 tablespoons of Nutella. Carefully spread the rest of the Nutella over the top.* Sprinkle reserved flour mixture over top of Nutella.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Mix reserved Nutella with water until it reaches a drizzle consistency. Put into a squeeze bottle or just use a spoon and drizzle over the top of the bars. Let set. Cut into bars.

*If you use all the Nutella it makes a really thick layer - not that it's a problem or anything - but you can choose to use less. :) The Nutella is hard to spread around - you may want to heat it to make it easier or thin it with a little milk first. 

 

 

Yum. How are you celebrating World Nutella Day? Have you made a recipe with Nutella? Have you made your own version of Nutella {I really want to try making some}?

This post linked to:

 ~ Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

 ~ Chic & Crafty Party at The Frugal Girls 

 ~ I'm Lovin' It at TidyMom 

And if you need more Nutella ideas, you can try my other recipes:

~ Nutella Biscotti
~ Nutella Popcorn
~ Mini Nutella Cheesecakes
~ Nutella S'Mores Cake
~ Nutella Bites

Have a blessed, Nutella-filled day friends! :)

Mocha Oatmeal Frappe {Recipe & Better Oats Review}

I was recently given some dark chocolate oatmeal packets to review {yes, chocolate oatmeal - yum}. This instant oatmeal with flax has a yummy twist - dark chocolate! Cocoa flavor and actual pieces of chocolate help make breakfast fun!

I tried the oatmeal using the microwave method {you can also use stove top}. After you pour the oat mixture into your bowl, you can actually use the empty packet to get your water! Just fill it to the measuring line and pour into your bowl. No leaks! Not only does this make it easy for kids to use, but also comes in handy in the workplace.

The oats were good - rolled oats with a chewy texture - and of course the chocolate flavor was great! I do think stove top would be even better and you could use milk instead of water.

About Lavish Better Oats:

Lavish is a great way to start the day with an indulgent—yet nutritious—breakfast. Made with real chocolate morsels and 100% whole grain oats, Lavish is also a good source of ALA Omega-3 and is naturally cholesterol free with 0g of trans fat. It's a win-win breakfast for any chocolate lover who's also health conscious!  And at a price of about $1.69 a box it’s easy on the pocketbook, too. Our fans on Facebook also tell us they like to put a spoonful of peanut butter in their Lavish as an afternoon or late-night snack!

I thought it would be fun to try Lavish Dark Chocolate oats in a recipe. If you're in a hurry in the morning, what better way to get your oatmeal and coffee than having it all together in a frappe? Blend it up and out the door you go! It's also great as an afternoon pick-me-up.

Mocha Oatmeal Frappe

1 packet Lavish Dark Chocolate oatmeal
1 cup milk
1 packet Starbucks Via instant coffee {or 1 heaping teaspoon other instant coffee}
10-12 ice cubes
Protein powder, if desired

Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly until frothy. I used my Magic Bullet, but you can use any blender. Pour into a glass; add a straw and enjoy!

Yum - coffee and chocolate with oats for fiber and flax already included! Drink up! :)

Have you tried any Better Oats varieties like the organic or RAW? What's your favorite add-in for oatmeal?

Disclosure: I received some free packets of Better Oats Lavish Dark Chocolate oatmeal to review. As always, my opinions are my own!

Have a blessed day friends!

Chocolate Chip Pecan {Sour Cream} Cake

I like cake. A lot. My Recipe Index is kinda heavy in the Cake section and I even had a Cake Week on my blog once. According to my archives, the last time I shared a new cake recipe with you was July 3rd {Mandarin Orange Cake}! 4 months and 26 days without cake recipes for you? Unacceptable!! :D

So I'm sharing this cake I made from my old Chocolate Fantasies cookbook. It uses a tube pan, so go dust one off! If you don't have one, borrow one or get a really cheap one from a thrift store like I did. In fact, I have a couple other recipes that use a tube pan so I'll share those at the bottom of the post so you can put that pan to good use! Bonus - this cake doesn't need to be frosted so I just saved you a bunch of time and extra calories from licking out the frosting bowl! :)

This cake is really yummy - kind of like a coffee cake - but I would eat it anytime. Anytime at all. :)

Chocolate Chip Pecan {Sour Cream} Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour {I used unbleached}
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 8-oz carton sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips {a heaping cup of course!}
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-in. tube pan.

Cream butter and gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add one-third of flour mixture to creamed mixture and stir with spoon until blended. Add half of sour cream, stirring until blended. Repeat procedure, ending with the flour mixture. Stir in vanilla extract.

In bowl, combine chocolate chips, chopped pecans, and brown sugar; set aside.

Spoon half of batter into prepared tube pan. Sprinkle with half of chocolate chip mixture. Spoon remaining batter into pan. Top with remaining chocolate chip mixture. {Don't be surprised by the fact that the batter is very low down in the pan - it bakes up that way too. You didn't do anything wrong!} Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely.

I always make myself hungry writing up these posts! And of course the yummy goodies are always long gone by the time I get to posting. I suppose I will survive. :)

If you need a couple more recipes for your tube pan, try Classic Pound Cake or Sour-Cream Lemon Pound Cake.

Do you make cakes in a tube pan? What's your favorite cake that doesn't need frosting?

This post linked to:
 ~ Chic & Crafty Party at The Frugal Girls
 ~ I'm Lovin' It at TidyMom 

 ~ Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

If you enjoyed stopping and smelling the chocolates with me, I'd love it if you click to Subscribe to Stop and Smell the Chocolates by Email or RSS!
 
Have a blessed day friends!