No Bake Lemon Cherry Cheesecake Sundaes

 (I need a better Camera)

Pantry Recipe: Featuring Canned Cherries and Nutella

So Nutella Day came and went. But I did actually feed my family Nutella, even if it was the last tablespoons from three different jars. I had every intention of making Individual No Bake Nutella Cheesecakes, but it turns out that all of the Nutella jars in my pantry were practically empty.

So what do you do with just a couple Tablespoons of Nutella -- Because seriously you can't waste that stuff. 

I made up these tasty (and extremely rich) individual no bake cheesecakes that turned out looking like a Sunday. Somewhere in the middle was a little dollop of Nutella -- just to surprise the tastebuds. On top I used my canned cherries and some of the cherry juice. But feel free to use cherry pie topping. But these were sweet and rich enough without the sugar shock of pie topping. 


I also used wafers for the crumbly crust -- any cookie with a little cream filling (i.e. oreos) will work


The Recipe
4 to 6 Servings (You may want to make yours smaller than I did)


Layer 1 -- The Crust
10 Dulche de Leche cream filled cookie wafers, crushed into crumbs
1 TB melted butter


Layer 2 -- The Surprise
2 to 4 TB of Nutella


Layer 3 -- The Cheesecake
8 oz of cream cheese softened
1/3 Cup of sugar
2-4 TB of Lemon juice (depends how strong you want your lemon flavor)
1 Tsp of vanilla
1 tub of whip cream


The Topping
Cherries or cherry pie topping
Chocolate chips (optional)


Combine layer one ingredients and press into the bottom of individual bowls or cups. 

Add a dollop of Nutella on top of crust layer.


Beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined and smooth. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Beat to combine


Fold in whip cream until evenly mixed and no streaks remain. Pipe or spoon into containers. Leave room for topping.


Cover with saran wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. 


Add cherry topping and chocolate chips if desired. Drizzle with cherry juice.




This is seriously rich and you may want to make smaller portions than those pictured here. But don't worry we ate it all. I just felt a little hippier the next day.

Nutella Berry Brownie Bites

Nutella Berry Brownie Bites -- Don't you just want to say that 5 times fast. Of course you do. Now I really meant to post this recipe on February 5th (World Nutella Day). But time got away from me and I got sick. But I do think that there should be a Nutella day every week. And what could be an easier or better treat for all your little Valentines. This recipe is SIMPLE. And I admit a version of it is floating all over the web. However, I believe the original recipe deservest a little fuity twist. I added some triple berry jam to my brownie batter and I got a little hint of berries in my chocolate.

I love fruit and chocolate together. I especially love Nutella and fruit together. I added berry jam but next time, maybe even today, I am going to add lemon curd. I encourage you to add a little fuity tablespoon of your favorite jam. Change it up.

1/2 cup Nutella


1 egg

5 tbsp flour

1 TB of rasberry or triple berry jam
powdered sugar for dusting
1.Preheat oven to 350. Grease a mini muffin tin or mini tart pan.
2.In a large bowl mix the Nutella and egg together until smooth.

3. Stir in jam

4 .Add the flour, mix until completely incorporated.

5.Pour batter into mini muffin tin, filling till about 3/4 full.

6.Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.

7.Let cool completely, then dust with sugar.

Pumpkin Nutella Smoothie -- Healthy Version

The picture didn't turn out great but we've all seen a pumpkin smoothie.
Now there are plenty of sweet creamy decadent recipes for pumpkin shakes full of ice cream, sugar and whip cream. That is all good and I am sure that I am going to indulge in at least one of those. But for breakfast or an afternoon healthy snack, I wanted something a little healthier -- which just a touch of decadence.

Pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors. Plus it is a superfood and has all kinds of unbelievable superhero powers. See my Alive! Utah's Taste article this month to discover its superhero qualities. I love that it is so creamy and yet so good for you. So, instead of loading my afternoon power shake with tons of ice cream and whip cream I decided to try a healthier route with just a touch of decadence from some Nutella.

P.S. We used Soymilk in this recipe instead of milk. My daughter recently discovered she is lactose intolerant and while yogurt doesn't seem to bother her -- milk wreaks havoc on her tummy and digestion. She wanted to try this recipe so I used Soy Milk (which is also healthy for you). Feel free to use lowfat milk if you want.

Now this recipe is not knock your socks off sweet. However it is tangy, rich, refreshing and just a tad spicy.

Recipe

1  4 oz carton of vanilla yogurt,frozen (for a sweeter version add a 1/2 cup of ice cream)
1 cup soymilk (plus a little more if you want a milder pumpkin flavor)
2/3 cup pumpkin
2 shakes of nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
3 Tb brown sugar
2 heaping TB of Nutella

We just put a carton of vanilla yogurt in the freezer until frozen. Combine ingredients in blender until smooth.
Top each smoothie with and additional tsp of Nutella and a dollop of whip cream if  you want.

Oreo Nutella Cream Pie

This pie is ridiculous good (much better than the lame photo makes it look) and it is the simplest pie to make. Chunks of oreos, nutella and a frozen ice cream like pie make this one of my new favorite go to recipes. It does require a little preplanning because it requires freeze time but other that that it is so simple to make.

The new Oreo cookies n' cream pudding is delicious (I swear they did not pay me to say this) I frequently stock up on pudding for my pantry and I was really excited when I saw the oreo pudding calling to me from the grocery shelf. I made some slight changes to their ice cream shoppe pie recipe.OK so I just added some Nutella but
I thought it was genius.

Ingredients
1 Oreo premade pie shell (or make your own)
2 4.2 oz cartons of Oreo instant pudding
1/4 cup of Nutella
1- 8 oz tub of whipped topping
1 1/4 Cup cold milk

Carefully spread half the Nutella on the bottom of the Oreo pie crust.
Top with 1/2 the cool whip.
Freeze 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Stir in remaining whipped topping.
Spread filling over pie that has been freezing.
Return pie to freezer for 4 hours or until firm.
Remove pie from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Randomly spread remaining Nutella on top.

Nutella Challenge: Raspberry Nutella Quesadillas

Chocolate and raspberry, hands down or hands to mouth, one of my favorite flavor combos. These decadent, sticky and completely easy dessert quesadillas are my entry into the Nutella challenge for August. I had to join the Nutella challenge hosted by one of my fave bloggers bell'allimento. So every month I will be posting a Nutella recipe/creation.

Now you may be wondering, what does Nutella have to do with a blog dedicated to pantry and food storage cooking. What?! you don't ALWAYS have Nutella in your pantry. As my sister would point out I have a few weird food storage staples and they are marinated artichoke hearts and Nutella. We buy it in bulk at Costco. It comes in a two pack with bigger containers and it costs a lot less. So, for me Nutella is a food food storage staple and it is one of the best ways to store one of the important food groups: chocolate. So without further ado I bring you one of the easiest desserts ever.

Now I made my quesadillas with a quesadilla grill. It was a gift and I have discovered it is one of my favorite kitchen appliances, thank you to my SIL. You can make these quesadillas in a warm nonstick pan on the stove also.

The Recipe:
Each quesadilla will make about 6 wedges.

2 flour tortillas per quesadilla. I used the smaller flour tortillas.
1 TB Nutella per quesadilla.
1/2 pint raspberries per quesadilla. ( You can also use sliced strawberries)

Spread tortilla with Nutella within 1 inch of edges. ( It will bubble out).
Place halved raspberries on top of Nutella. Top with second tortilla and place on heated quesadilla grill or in heated pan. If you use a pan make sure you press down on the tortilla.

Toast until golden on each side and juices bubble from edges.

Remove from pan. Allow to cool a couple of minutes and slice into wedges.

HEAVEN!

Chocolate Raspberry Muffins & Nutella Smore Cookies -- Weekend Treats

Weekends are a cooking conundrum. We are busy or we are resting and yet, we are hungry. I don't want to cook or spend too much time in the kitchen and yet I want to treat my family to some good eats. I especially feel this way on Suday.  So here are two of our easy favorites. Chocolate Raspberry Muffins and Nutella Smore Cookies. They are so simple that they are more like tips than recipes. But they are fast - chocolate and everybody loves them.

If you are frequent reader of my blog you already understand my love affair with the Jiffy Mix. So many uses in such a convenient inexpensive box. The Chocolate Muffin Mix is my new favorite and this is why. I tried this recipe off the back of the box and two days later I made it again for Sunday breakfast. You can certainly make these muffins with from scratch chocolate muffins. Just add the chocolate chips and raspberry jam according to the directions.

Rasberry and chocolate is one of those love food matches made in heaven.

1 Pkg of Jiffy chocolate muffin mix (or your homemade chocolate muffins)
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil
1/4 Cup milk
1/2 Cup Chocolate chips
1/3 C chopped nuts (optional)
1/4 Cup raspberry jam. ( I used my canned raspberry preserves)

Makes about 6 muffins if using one box of Jiffy.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine mix, egg, milk, and oil. fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon batter into paper lined muffin tin. Place one tsp of raspberry jam in the center and top with nuts (optional)
Bake 13-15 minutes.

So heavenly warm.

Nutella Smore Cookie Sandwiches.

This is a ridiculously easy idea made from a need to provide a Sunday dessert and a need to not bake anymore that day. And of course a need for a little Nutella therapy.

I use these wafers I found in the Spanish section of the grocery store, called Marias. They are 50 cents a package and taste a lot like a grown up animal cracker. They are the perfect base for these cookies.

The Smores

Nutella
Maria cookies or a hard cookie wafer.
marshmallow creme

Smear Nutella on one cookie and marshmallow creme on another cooke and smash together.

Now frankly I would totally stick with just the Nutella. I am a Nutella purist and I am not a huge fan of marshmallow creme. But oh my family loves these because they are a fan of both.

Nutella Swirl Cheesecake Tarts

I am having a week long "just for the love of it fest." HUGH? I know you are all are wondering, what is such a fest? All week I will post recipes that I have either made simply for the love of kids, husbands,friends. i.e. tomorrow I will post a quickie baked beans recipe. I only make baked beans because two people in my family think they are the best side dish ever, and I really love those two people. The best part, I am only including my easy pantry friendly recipes. I will be whipping up some other goodies like calamari but they don't all fit the theme of this blog.

I will also post a few treat ideas to love em with food, including my eight-year-old's Easy Bake valentine creation. But today I am posting a little recipe that is just for the love of Nutella. I love Nutella, my kids love Nutella, we are Nutella freaks in this house.

I was disappointed that I missed the Nutella day on Saturday. But as soon as I found out there was a worldwide Nutella day, I ran to the kitchen and whipped up this little pretty, "just for the love of it"

Nutella Swirl Cheesecake Tarts

12 mini graham cracker tarts (they come in packages of 6) (make your own if you must)

1 package of white or yellow cake mix (I used yellow)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 Cup sour cream

1/4 Cup sugar

2 eggs

12 tsp of Nutella (removed from the can)

Hot fudge

Directions:

Combine cake mix cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, and 1/4 cup of sugar. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Fill each individual graham cracker tart with batter. Fill to the top. Lightly cut 1 tsp of Nutella into batter and lightly swirl and cut through batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Top with warmed hot fudge sauce.

Puffy Chocolate Peanut Butter Pizza and My New Online Magazine

I have every intention of doing a little self promo because I have a really exciting new project. But first I am going to give you another dessert recipe. I know you must be thinking that I am secretly trying to sabotage your New Year's resolution to lose weight. I am not. I just keep making desserts. I am, however, managing to sabotage my own efforts to lose weight but I can't resist chocolate. I try but when I saw a recipe for a chocolate pizza in my Giada Laurentiis cookbook, I knew I had to make my own version.

Chocolate + Pizza = yum. Add a puff pastry crust and some marshmallows and toasted coconut and it is so easy to be naughty. Of course, you can omit the marshmallows and coconut and add anything you like. You can also use a regular pizza crust. I changed the crust to a puff pastry sheet because it sounded decadent and it was.

The way too easy recipe adapted from Giada di Laurentiis.

1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted. (Don't forget it takes about 40 minutes to defrost)

Nutella

4 Tb peanut butter chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate pizza

mini marshmallows

1/4 Cup shredded coconut (optional)

1 egg

1 Tb water

Mix water and egg.

Place unfolded pastry sheet on a cookie sheet, and brush with egg glaze. Bake according to box directions or until golden and puffy.

Spread a thin layer of nutella on puff pastry while still warm.

Sprinkle with peanut butter or chocolate chips. Top with marshmallows and coconut if desired.

Place pizza back in the oven and cook an additional 2-5 minutes or until chips begin to melt and marshmallows begin to look golden.

Remove from oven and enjoy warm or chill and eat cold. It tastes like a candy bar cold but it has that melt in your mouth warm joy.

A LITTLE SELF-PROMOTION

I have recently launched my new online lifestyle magazine and community for Southern Utah, Aliveutah.com. Why am I telling you this? First many of my fellow foodies are from Utah. Second I have a great Taste section you should check out. This maiden issue actually features a fellow foodie blogger, Cookin Canuck, and some of her pine nut recipes. I am also looking for a Utah foodie blogger for February. So let me know if you want to be considered for the Featured Utah food blogger.

Go check out the Taste section. TASTE