Hazelnut Nutella Tart

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As we roll from holiday desserts to January diets to February sweets, I can’t resist a good Nutella recipe. Did you know there’s even a World Nutella Day for fans to celebrate on February 5th? Had I known they were looking for an ambassador, I just may have applied! There’s always next year! In the meantime, here’s my take on combining local Oregon-grown hazelnuts and with the sweet and addictive hazelnut spread. It’s sweet and rich (and definitely not low-fat), but it makes a perfect Valentine’s Day dessert if you’re looking for something last minute.

Hazelnut Nutella Tart

1 sheet of refrigerated piecrust dough

½ of 13-oz. jar of Nutella (reserve 2-3 T. for later)

½ of 11-oz bag of caramel bits (found in the baking section by the chocolate chips)

1/3 c. heavy whipping cream

1 c. chopped hazelnuts (or other nuts if you prefer)

Follow directions for piecrust to unroll it and place it in a greased 9” tart pan. Lightly press into the bottom and up the sides without stretching it. Trim the excess off even with the top of the pan and use a fork to prick the crust all over. Bake 10-12 minutes at 450 degrees, until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Lower the oven temp to 350 degrees then toast the nuts in a shallow pan for 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring once during toasting. Remove and cool.

Warm the Nutella in small dish by microwaving 30 seconds at a time until thin and easy to stir. Spread it over the bottom of the tart shell then sprinkle it with the nuts, lightly pressing them in. In a glass dish, stir the caramel bits and whipping cream together and microwave 30 seconds to a minute at a time on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel is melted and it combines easily with the cream. Pour over the hazelnuts making sure it gets all the way to the edges. Heat up the 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved Nutella until very thin and drizzle over the top. Chill until it’s time to serve! Add a dollop of whipped cream sweetened with a bit of sugar and a couple drops of almond flavoring if desired.

Ginger Lemon Cheesecake

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I was trying to think of a delicious chocolate dessert to feature for Valentine’s Day, and remembered a “light” chocolate cheesecake recipe I my roommate made many years ago that was so tasty. The crust on it was made with brownie mix, a dash of cinnamon, and a jar of carrot baby food! The filling was chocolate swirled – it was delicious and very rich despite being “light.” With all the gray, rainy weather we’ve been having, I decided to try something a bit on the “lighter,” yet more tropical side to help make the long, dark days a bit happier. I have tried many restaurant cheesecakes and some of my favorites have been lime or lemon with coconut or nuts in the crust. Something about the tartness mixed with sweetness of the cream cheese makes it perfect. Here’s one of my favorite interpretations that I’ve tried, and it’s a perfect treat for Valentine’s Day (and a few days after)!

Ginger Lemon Cheesecake

1-½ c. all-purpose flour

½ c. almond flour

½ cup powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1 cube (½ c.) cold butter, cut into chunks

2 egg yolks

1 T. ice water

2 (8-oz.) packages regular cream cheese

2 (8-oz.) packages Neufchatel cheese (light cream cheese)

1 c. granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 (10 oz.) jars of lemon curd

Candied ginger pieces

In a food processor, blend the flours, powdered sugar, salt and butter until crumbly and well-mixed. In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks with the ice water and add to the flour mixture while processing until the dough forms a ball. If necessary, add more ice water, a small amount at a time until it pulls away from the sides and is soft. Remove dough, form into a ball and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until cold all the way through, about 2 hours (can refrigerate overnight if needed).

Lightly pat the dough into a circle on a smooth, clean surface sprinkled with powdered sugar. Slowly roll out, re-chilling if it gets too warm. Spray a springform pan well, and fit dough into it on the bottom and up the sides. Cut off the excess and chill entire pan 15 minutes in the freezer.

In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese on medium until smooth. Add the sugar, one cupt at a time, until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, then the almond flavoring. Remove crust from freezer and pour in about 1/2 of the batter. Take one jar of the lemon curd and drop by the teaspoon on top of the batter. Take a knife and gently swirl the curd into the batter. Gently spread the remaining batter on top and smooth.

Gently chop up a few of the candied ginger pieces and sprinkle around the outer edges of the batter. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is set. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit with the door closed for 15 minutes (it may still look jiggly and the top will have puffed up, but it will settle down when cool). Remove cheesecake from oven and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan without removing sides of pan yet. Cool pan completely on a wire rack, then cover and chill 8 or overnight. Remove sides of pan and transfer cheesecake to a serving platter. Remove lid and microwave 1/2 of the 2nd jar of lemon curd for 30 seconds at a time until thin enough to easily spread over cheesecake. Top with a few more pieces of the candied ginger, whole or chopped. Slice with a large knife dipped in water each time and serve!

Options: Use 2 c. of all-purpose flour instead of the all-purpose/almond mixture, plus vanilla instead of almond flavoring if you prefer. For a slice of warmth, try lime curd with the candied ginger instead of lemon. There are also many great recipes online for making your own curd, I used pre-made because it’s faster and still delectable.

ginger lemon cheesecake

Hazelnut Chip Cookies
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I took my usual chocolate chip cookie recipe and “Oregon-ized” it with hazelnuts, hazelnut flavoring and toffee bits. Delicious!

Hazelnut Chip Cookies

3/4 c. butter flavored shortening

1-1/4 c. brown sugar

2 T. milk

1 T. hazelnut flavoring

1 egg

1-3/4 c. flour

3/4 t. baking soda

8 oz package of Heath toffee bits

1 c. chopped hazelnuts

Combine shortening, sugar, milk and flavoring. Beat at medium speed until creamy, then add in egg and mix well. Add in flour, soda and mix slowly until well blended. Add in the chips and nuts. Scoop into large tablespoon-sized balls onto ungreased sheet and back at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool on sheet 2 minutes then move to rack to finish cooling.

Note: if you have a KitchenAid mixer, throw in all of the ingredients at once except chips and nuts. Blend until smooth, then add in the chips & nuts at the end. Easy! I’ve also made the dough ahead of time, scooped into balls, and refrigerated or froze them until I’m ready to bake. Just bake them a few minutes longer. I also recommend baking on parchment paper for quick cleanup!

Hazelnut chip cookies

Fruit Kuchen

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As the farmers’ markets flood with fresh summer fruit, you’ll want to keep this recipe handy! “Kuchen” is German for “cake.” I also found out that it became South Dakota’s official state dessert in 2000. No wonder I love it so much! My father’s family is German and my husband is from South Dakota. He’s not even a sweets person and loves this dessert.

There are many variations of this recipe online. This is the one my mom used, probably originally torn out of a newspaper or from a church cookbook and adjusted to her liking. You can utilize your favorite fresh fruit or any combination of year-round. I most recently combined peaches and blueberries, and sprinkled shredded coconut and almonds on top. Mom used to make it with garden-fresh raspberries, peaches, apples, pears, apricots, rhubarb and plums. Fruit Kuchen makes not only a great summer dessert, but it tastes even better on the second day with a cup of tea or coffee for breakfast on the patio! It does also freeze well, if you have enough leftovers…!

Fruit Kuchen

1 c. butter or margarine, softened

1 c. sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1-1/2 c. flour

2-1/2 tsp. baking powder

3 c. fruit of choice (fresh berries,  thinly sliced peaches, apples, pears or quartered plums or apricots)

2 T. sugar + 2 T. cinnamon (mixed together)

Finely chopped nuts or coconut (optional)

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and smooth. Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating until smooth between each. Slowly add in the flour and baking powder until well blended. Pat the dough into an ungreased 10″x15″ cookie sheet with edges or large shallow casserole dish. Place the fruit on top of the dough, overlapping but not completely covering it as you want some of the dough to bubble and cook through. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top along with the nuts and coconut if you choose. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the dough is lightly browned.

You can also use canned fruit that’s well drained and chopped up.

Fruit Kuchen

Cranberry Orange Christmas Cookies

Cranberry Orange Christmas Cookies

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One of my favorite Christmas memories is spending time baking with my mom and grandma. We made traditional things like fudge, peanut brittle, shortbread cookies, and divinity. For years, the only thing I asked for from Grandma was her homemade cinnamon and root bear hard candy and peanut brittle. I hoarded it throughout the year!

When I was asked to help judge the cookie contest at Garden Gallery Iron Works in Hubbard last weekend, I quickly said yes! With a 14-month old baby, full-time retail job, and 6 days less between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, I could still enjoy cookies without actually taking the time to do the baking myself. I had so much fun but it was tough for us to decide between 30+ entries! I was surprised at some of the unique ingredients used (bacon? Pinto beans and chili powder?) and how some of the traditional cookies were given a unique spin. After an hour of mulling everything over and re-tasting several finalists, we chose a winner! It was the one cookie all three of us kept talking about – it was so simple, but the flavors reminded all of us of the good old days and Grandma’s kitchen. I’m so happy to share this recipe and hope that it becomes part of your family tradition – I know it will soon be part of mine!

Cranberry Orange Cookies

By Korrin Petersen (Hubbard, OR)

1 c. softened butter

1 c. white sugar

½ c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. grated orange zest

2 T. orange juice

2 – ½ c. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 c. dried cranberries (Kristy’s note: I used 1 c. because that’s all I had in the house and they turned out fine!)

½ c. chopped walnuts – optional

*Kristy’s addition: 1/4 cup candied orange peel added in at same time as the cranberries

Icing:

½ tsp. grated orange zest

3 T. orange juice

1 – ½ c. confectioners (powdered) sugar

Preheat oven to 375°. In large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg until well blended. Mix in 1 tsp. orange zest and 2 T. orange juice. Combine the flour, soda and salt together, then stir into the orange mixture. Mix in cranberries and walnuts until evenly distributed. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, at least 2” apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

For icing, mix together in small bowl the orange zest, juice, and powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle on top of the cooled cookies and let stand until set.

 

Pumpkin Spice Gingerbread

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I love pumpkin and gingerbread! This is the best of both worlds, and not too overwhelming with either flavor. The apple cider gives it an extra kick of fall flavor.

Pumpkin Spice Gingerbread

3 c. sugar (can use combination of brown and white sugars)

1 c. vegetable oil

4 eggs

2/3 c. apple cider or water

15 oz. can pumpkin puree

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

3-½ c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

Combine sugar, oil, eggs and cider or water in large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Blend in pumpkin and spices. In a separate bowl, lightly combine the flour, soda and baking powder. Add the dry mix to the pumpkin mixture a little at a time, just until moistened. Divide batter and pour into two lightly greased 9”x5” loaf pans. Sprinkle a little bit of raw sugar or brown sugar on top and bake at 350° for about an hour, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let sit in pan until slightly cool, then pop out and finish cooling on a rack. The flavors meld together even more if you can leave it overnight!

 

Buttermilk Bars

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A few years ago, I met a friend at Starbucks. Since I have a sweet tooth, I ordered a hunk of coffee cake to go along with my mocha. After biting into it, I had déjà vu – it tasted nearly identical to some dessert bars my mom has baked for years. I have never done a side-by-side comparison, but I also haven’t ordered that same coffee cake again because I know that “I can make that!” (but better)! I’m sure the original recipe came from a local church compilation cookbook, that’s where I’ve gotten many of my favorites. These bars make a great dessert after dinner or accompaniment to a warm cup of coffee or hot cocoa during these cool autumn days.

Buttermilk Bars

2 c. flour

¾ c. brown sugar

½ c. chopped almonds (can also use walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts)

1-¼ c. sugar

½ c. butter flavored shortening

Mix the ingredients above like a pie crust, until crumbly. Take 1-½ c. of the mixture and pat gently into the bottom of a 9”x13” cake pan. Reserve ¼ c. of the mixture for the topping.

To the rest of the crumb mixture, add:

1 egg, beaten

½ t. salt

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

1 c. buttermilk

Mix well, pour over the crust mix, and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Cool, then cut into bars and serve.

 

Apple Dapple Cake

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My mom used to make this with the harvest we picked from our backyard. It brings back great memories of fall! Make several since it’s so easy to make, bake ahead, freeze, and defrosted when needed. She sent this to me (again) so I had to post and share!

1/4 c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon ( I use more)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp.vanilla
2 c. grated tart apples (grannies are great)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg. Sift flour, salt, soda and spices together. Stir into creamed mixture. Stir in vanilla, apples and nuts. Bake in greased 8″ square pan or pie dish in 350 degree F. oven for about 45 minutes. Serve with sauce or ice cream. Can also freeze when cool. Just cover with foil, label, date and freeze. Serve with ice cream or Apple Dapple Sauce (below).  Can thaw frozen cake in slow oven (200 degrees) 1 to 2 hours or just leave on the counter a few hours.

APPLE DAPPLE SAUCE
6 T. butter or margarine
1 c. brown sugar ( I like the dark)
1/2 c. cream ( I use canned milk)
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
Combine and heat, but DO NOT BOIL! Serve warm over Apple Dapple cake.

Coconut Lime Ice Cream

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This recipe is from the great Carrie Wong, owner of Extreme Chocolates in Salem, OR. She has many other great recipes on her site! It’s good with or without lime…try adding shredded coconut at the end or topping off with toasted coconut when serving.

Coconut Lime Ice Cream

1-1/2 c. milk (2% or whole)

21 oz. cream of coconut (the sweetened Coco Loco type found in the drink mixers section at grocery store)

2-1/4 c. heavy cream

2 T. lime juice + 1 t. lime zest

Mix all ingredients and chill for several hours or overnight. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions.

Buttermilk Bars

Buttermilk Bars

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Been to Starbucks and tried their special coffee cake? Well, these Buttermilk Bars are pretty darn close to that. Plus, they are easy to make, taste better, and cost less!

Buttermilk Bars

2 c. flour

¾ c. brown sugar

½ c. chopped walnuts

1-1/4 c. white sugar (or less)

½ c. shortening (I prefer butter flavor Crisco)

Mix together like a pie crust, until crumbly. Take out 2 cups of the mixture – use 1-1/2 cups of this and press into a 9”x13” cake pan. Save the other ½ cup for topping.

To the rest of the mixture, add:

1 egg

½ t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. soda

1 c. buttermilk

Blend well and pour this mixture over the crust mix. Spread out evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle remaining ½ c. of crumbs on top. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.