Last Thursday I had one of those mornings. It all started going south when my computer decided to channel it’s inner turtle. It was running so slow it took me an hour to do what should have taken 15 minutes. Then Jordan was taking her sweet time getting ready to go to school.

By the time I had to tell her to go back upstairs and turn off her light for a third time, I *may* have been yelling.

Of course, afterwards, I felt guilty. It wasn’t a yell-able offense, but my fuse was already short.

I apologized to her in the car on the way to school. I told her people lose their tempers for not good reasons sometimes.

To which she replied, “It happens to you a lot Mommy.”

Ouch.

I tried to reason with her a little. “Well, honey, it happens to everyone,” I told her.

She thought for a second. “It never happens to Daddy.”

Oh, snap. Final score: Jordan 1, Mommy -5.

Parenting is hard work. So sometimes we adults deserve a special treat all our own. A perfect little one, that makes just enough for two.

No, not enough for two and “Mommy pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaasssssseee can I have a bite?!”

Just enough for two.

I made a Nutella mousse to share with my husband.

And I gave it a crust, of course. Lorna Doone cookies, all smooshed up.

Think of it as a reward after a long, hard, days work of being a parent.

Well, a reward for my husband anyway. I’m still in time-out.

Nutella Mousse Pies {for two}

by Dorothy Kern

Keywords: nutella crust pie

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 6 Lorna Doone (or similar) cookies
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons Nutella
• 1 cup Cool Whip (I used fat free)
• Additional Cool Whip and/or cocoa powder, for topping

Instructions

1. Finely grind cookies in a food processor. Mix with melted butter. Divide in half and press evenly into the bottom of two ramekins. Chill completely before filling.
2. Whip Nutella and Cool Whip with a hand-held mixer until fully combined. Divide evenly amongst the two ramekins. Top with additional Cool Whip and a dusting of cocoa, if desired. Chill until ready to eat.

Powered by Recipage

.

Have a Linky Party you want me to join? Add it HERE.

These are the fabulous parties I link to each week:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts, Creative Monday (Clairejustineoxox), Mix it Up Monday (Flour Me With Love), Things that make you say mmmm Monday (Cooking with Karyn), Mop it Up Mondays (I should be mopping the floors). Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy’s Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training), Trick or Treat Tuesday (Inside BruCrew Life), Let’s Do Brunch (My Sweet & Savory), One Stop Shop Linky (The Southern Product Queen). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox’s Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox’s Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark’s Country Heart), This Chick Cooks, Cast Party Wednesday (Lady Behind the Curtain), Famous Linkz Par-tay (Made-Famous-By), Bakes with Bizzy (Bizzy Bakes), Whip it Up Wednesday (Crockpot Ladies).  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents), Taking a Timeout Thursday (Mom on Timeout), Things I’ve Done Thursday (BearRabbitBear), (RHW Recipe Round-Up) The Real Housewives of Riverton. Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I’m Lovin’ it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate), Bacon Time, Fusion Friday (Jane Deere Blog), Foodie Friday (Not Your Ordinary Recipes), Dwell on Joy, Fun Finds Friday (Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons). Saturday: Country Mom Cooks, Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters’ Stuff), Seasonal/Occasional Linkys: Moms Crazy Cooking, Southern Mom Cooks, Cheap Crafty Momma, Susie QT

The post Nutella Mousse {for two} appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Do you ever have those weeks days where you just cannot make up your mind? Getting dressed, eating breakfast, working out. All the decisions normally so easy and effortless now make you feel like a confused teenager just willing your mom to come and tell you what to do.

Yeah, last weekend I had a few of those days.

Most of it centered around this treat. Or, more accurately, what this treat should be.

I knew I wanted to do another patriotic post. I’ve known for weeks. I would say I had baker’s block, but that wouldn’t be true.

I had way, way, way too many ideas.

Pie. Cookies. Something with leftover blue buttercream. Pie again. Bananas? No. Strawberries! No. Maybe cookie pie. Marshmallows.

AHHHHHH!

So many times I wanted to take out the dual personality that is my baker self and give her a large slap.

“Make up your mind, baker self!” I would have yelled at her. “Make a choice!”

So I finally did. {Make a choice I mean. Not yell and slap myself. I’m not quite ready for the loony bin yet. Close, but not until Jordan’ a teenager. Then I’ll revisit that issue.}

I decided to make something with star-shaped marshmallows. Went to three stores to find a bag.

And yes, you would be right when you’re saying to yourself “…but there aren’t any marshmallows listed in her title…”

Because there’s not. Not a marsh or a mallow in sight.

One aisle after the marshmallow aisle is the pretzel aisle, where I let Jordan choose what pretzels she wanted.

She chose the square ones. Which triggered my memories of stuffed pretzels everywhere.

And I changed my mind again.

And boy, am I glad I did.

Have you heard of Lindsay Landis’ book, The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook?

Oh my goodness, it should be called Dorothy Loves Cookie Dough And She And Lindsay Could Be BFFs.

Anyway, I’ve been drooling over her recipes and photos for weeks now. But, of course, I cannot follow a recipe…so I adapted one of hers. I made Nutella Cookie Dough.

I sandwiched it between two pretzels.

And I dipped it in chocolate.

And I made them red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July. Go ahead. Make them. I dare you to eat just one.

Yeah, good luck with that.

I think all that indecision worked in this case. What do you think?

Patriotic Nutella Cookie Dough Dipped Pretzels

by Crazy for Crust

(Cookie Dough adapted from The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook by Lindsay Landis)

Print

Patriotic Nutella Cookie Dough Dipped Pretzels

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons Nutella
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 64 square shaped pretzels
• 1 package candy melts (any color or flavor), or a combination of red, white, and blue melts

Instructions

1. Using a hand mixer, beat butter, Nutella, and both sugars until blended. Add milk and vanilla. Mix in flour and salt until just combined.
2. Lay out 64 pretzel squares. Sandwich them with about a half of a tablespoon of cookie dough per pretzel pair. Chill until ready to dip.
3. Melt candy melts according to package directions. Dip each square in chocolate, tapping off the excess and placing on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet. Chill to set. Decorate with drizzle, if desired.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2.5

http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2012/06/patriotic-nutella-cookie-dough-dipped/

Recipe Source: www.crazyforcrust.com | (c) Crazy for Crust All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you wish to republish my recipe, please re-write it in your own words or link back to this recipe.

Chef in Training, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Sweet Treats Thursday, Chic-and-Crafty, Tastetastic Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, I’m Lovin’ it Fridays, Sweets for a Saturday, A Well-Seasoned Life, Strut your Stuff Saturday, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Weekend Potluck, and all of these too!

The post Patriotic Nutella Cookie Dough Dipped Pretzels appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

So, school starts next week. {Yay!}

I love so many things about the start of a new school year.

I love that twinge in my belly…the newness. Everyone says Spring is the rebirth…but for me I feel like I start anew every September. And, even though I have not personally attended classes or taught for seven years now, I still get that renewed feeling.

I love the smell of freshly sharpened pencils.  Actually, I love the school supply section in general. Pens, pencils, erasers, folders, notebooks, oh my! And everything is on sale for practically $1!

{Unless you buy 30 things. Then you’ve just spent $30. With $30 I could have gotten a pedicure.}

I love the  early mornings. We don’t have to re-train Jordan to get up early. I’m lucky if she stays in bed until 6:00 am on a Saturday, let alone on a school day. The early out of the house means I can run outdoors (no childcare needed) in cooler weather.

I love the thought that, because school is here that means that eventually it will be Fall and it won’t be 108 degrees anymore.

What I don’t love about the school year? Making lunch.

Is anyone with me on this? I mean, it’s hard enough to get variety in my kids’ diet without having to pack it in a box with an ice pack that will inevitably melt before recess, rendering the contents luke-warm and melty by lunch.

If I left it to Jordan she would eat salami every single day. But only because I won’t let her have fried chicken.

I’m constantly trying to come up with new lunchbox ideas. But when your kid won’t eat anything but salami, that gets difficult.

However, I think she’d eat this sandwich, no problem.

I saw the idea for this sandwich in Food Network Magazine. That “bread” is actually cake.

Kinda genius, actually.

It’s a cupcake without the icing mess.

Because the icing is the sandwich filling.

The Food Network version was a big cake. I wanted to make actual sandwich size mini cakes. So I baked half a box of white cake mix and baked it in a 9″ square pan. I cut the square into four pieces and cut off the edges and the top and bottom (because no crust is allowed in my house). Do you all have that problem? I stuff a sandwich with crust in the lunch box and it comes home looking like a deformed rainbow.

Then you tort the four small cakes, so they look like bread. I know, my torting skills need work. But that crooked piece doesn’t matter. Just turn it upside down, no one will ever know.

You could use jelly for the rest of your sandwich. That’s not how we roll in this house.

We roll Nutella-style.

Sandwich these babies up, wrap ‘em in plastic and chill until they’ve firmed up. It’s like April Fool’s Day in August.

A sandwich Jordan will eat. And a new reason to love the new school year: making cute school-themed food.

What do you love about back-to-school?

Peanut Butter and Nutella Sandwich Cakes

by Crazy for Crust (Adapted from Food Network Magazine)

Print

PB & Nutella Sandwich Cakes

Ingredients

For the Bread
• 1 1/2 cups white cake mix from a box
• 1/2 cup water
• 7 tablespoons oil
• 2 egg whites
• (This recipe makes 4 sandwiches. If you want more, make the whole box of cake mix using the ingredients called for on the box.)
• For the Peanut Butter & Nutella Filling
1/2 stick butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup Nutella
• 2-4 tablespoons milk, divided
• (You will have extra filling unless you make extra “bread.”)

Instructions

Make the Bread
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9” square pan and line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal.
2. Mix all cake ingredients in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and bake 20-23 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.
3. To make your slices: Cut cake in four equal pieces. Cut off the edges. Carefully cut off the top and bottom. Slice in half lengthwise to create two slices of bread. You will have 8 slices.
Make the Filling
4. ?Mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Divide into two equal portions. Transfer half to another bowl.
5. Add peanut butter to one half of frosting and mix with a hand mixer. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to get desired spreading consistency.
6. Add Nutella to remaining half of frosting and beat with hand mixer. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to get desired spreading consistency.
7. Spread peanut butter frosting on one slice of “bread.” Top with Nutella frosting and second slice of bread. Wrap in plastic and chill until firmed up. Repeat with remaining bread and frosting.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2.5

http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2012/08/pb-nutella-sandwich-cakes/

Recipe Source: www.crazyforcrust.com | (c) Crazy for Crust All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you wish to republish my recipe, please re-write it in your own words or link back to this recipe.

Enjoy!

Chef in Training, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Sweet Treats Thursday, Chic-and-Crafty, Tastetastic Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, I’m Lovin’ it Fridays, Sweets for a Saturday, A Well-Seasoned Life, Strut your Stuff Saturday, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Weekend Potluck, and all of these too!

The post PB & Nutella Sandwich Cakes appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Are you ready for some Football?

Honestly? I’m not really. Football is just…not my thing.

My husband? Is another story.

Last weekend he did his annual boys’ trip. He went to Arizona, where most of his “boys” reside.

The point of his trip? Fantasy Football.

If you remember last years’ post, he’s commissioner. He makes spreadsheets and graphs and watches NFL network like a crazy person in the weeks leading up to the draft. And, also, after, because God forbid Peyton Mannings’ receiver gets hurt before the season starts.

He actually won last year (go Merverts!) I hope that can be replicated this year. They play for money. (Mama needs a new camera.)

Of course, I immediately thought about Football themed treats when he started planning his insane weekend. And I knew just what to make; something he would love and not be able to refuse!

Nutella and peanut butter. (Aka, God’s gift to humanity.)

I made a peanut butter shortbread crust and baked the Nutella brownies on top. Soft and fudgy meets peanut buttery wonderful, if you ask me.

I cut out the footballs after they baked, then added the laces using white chocolate. My cookie cutter was large, so I only got about six footballs and I had lots of scraps that tasted sooooooo good.  These are definitely a make-again-treat.

Way more entertaining than football! {But don’t tell hubby that!}

Print

Nutella Brownie Footballs with Peanut Butter Shortbread Crust

Brownie Recipe from Mother Thyme

Ingredients

• For the Crust
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• For the Brownies
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup Nutella
• Football Cookie Cutter
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, for decoration

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9x13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Make the crust: beat butter, peanut butter, and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly mix in the flour and beat until combined. Press into the bottom of your prepared pan.
3. Make the brownies: whisk flour and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add Nutella and mix until creamy. Stir in flour mixture. Pour over the top of the crust and spread evenly with a spatula.
4. Bake for 25-28 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.
5. For footballs: Using a football shaped cookie cutter, cut the brownies. Melt the white chocolate chips and place in a ziploc bag. Snip off one corner and pipe the laces of the footballs. Let harden before stacking.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2.5

http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2012/09/nutella-brownie-footballs-with-peanut-butter-shortbread-crust-2/

Recipe Source: www.crazyforcrust.com | (c) Crazy for Crust All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you wish to republish my recipe, please re-write it in your own words or link back to this recipe.

Need some other football inspiration?

Peanut Butter Football Dip

The post Nutella Brownie Footballs with Peanut Butter Shortbread Crust appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

There are 57 days until Christmas.54 or 55 if you want to have all your presents purchased, wrapped, and under the tree in time.

57 days. Not WEEKS. DAYS.

Let’s not even talk about how Jordan’s Halloween costume is still not complete and Halloween is in 3 days.

I am SO way behind this year. Usually? By now I have my excel spreadsheet started, updated from last year. Old gifts have been taken out , people have been updated. New sheets have been created for “shopping list” and “food to bake” and “MEL DON’T PEEK IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT MY COMPUTER.”

I have not opened my spreadsheet.

I have not thought about Santa.

I have not created a to-bake list.

I have not purchased 12 bags of red and green candy melts. (Which means, you know, that by Tuesday when I can get to Michael’s, they’ll all be gone. The craft-store going crowd is a think ahead bunch.)

So I’m not ready for Christmas. Not in the slightest.

When it comes to gift giving at Christmas, I’d say 90% of what I give is something I make. Sure, we buy gifts too, but I don’t know what to buy the neighbors’ best friends’ sister’s garbage man.

So I bake.

I love to make cookies, obviously. I mean cookies are to Christmas is as pie is to Thanksgiving.

But by the time I’m done baking cookies for Jordan’s best friend’s mom’s sister’s teacher, I get tired of making things that have be done in stages. Or rolled. Or, that take any time whatsoever. Which is why I love brownies, bars, and quick breads for giving.

And, people. I’ve just discovered a new product that is going to be your #1 go to item this Christmas.

They are these paper bakeware containers from Welcome Home Brands.

They are PERFECT for giving. You know why? Because you bake your goodies right in them. Cool, wrap, and give. Done!

You don’t even have to wash the pan. Which, in my book, is probably the most awesomest thing about them.

They’re nonstick, already greased. They just peel off! And yes, that’s marshmallow fluff you see peeking out. IT didn’t even stick. They’re oven and freezer safe, and can go right onto your oven rack, or on a cookie sheet!

These pans come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They have Christmas patters. Fun polka dot patterns. Cake pans, baking cups, loaf pans. It’s like a pan smorgasbord.

I put my rectangular loaf pans to work making this bread that you all are going to love.

Marshmallow Fluff. Nutella. Peanut Butter Banana.

Um….not a word in that sentence I don’t {heart}.

I never thought I’d love peanut butter banana bread. But Oh. My. God. It’s sooooo good. It’s, like magic.

I thought, hmmm. I wonder if I could swirl some fluff into the center? And maybe some Nutella? I asked the internets, and Karly showed me that it could be done.

So I did it. And now, you so need to do it.

Come on. We’re all doing it. You know you want too!

Seriously. One stop gift giving. Now, if only they made paper bowls and mixers and stuff. Then I’d never have to do dishes!

That would be a great Christmas gift. Just sayin’.

And obviously, I’m not the only one in love with peanut butter and banana. Ashton made Peanut Butter Cup Banana Pancakes today. Something else I’d love to get for Christmas. Go check them out!

Now…you know you love these Welcome Home Brands paper bakeware. You want some of your own. Well…come back tomorrow. I’m showing you what else you can make with them…and giving some away!

Continue reading and get the recipe: Fluffernutter Nutella Banana Bread

The post Fluffernutter Nutella Banana Bread appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Whew. I got this in in the nick of time!

It’s World Nutella Day people! A day to celebrate that wonderfully delicious spread that has caused me to go up many a pants size in my lifetime. I swear, I could be addicted to Nutella. I have it in my cabinet for baking emergencies (like this one) but I never, ever, ever let myself open the jar unless I’m baking with it. It’s too dangerous. One spoonful and I’m done – the jar is gone and I’m sick to my stomach.

I kind of love all these food holidays. It’s just too bad I forget about all of them until it’s (almost) too late. Want to know a few, so you can put them on your calendar?

There’s National Pie Day – January 23

And actual Pi Day – March 14 (I would never, ever, ever forget that one. Be sure to come by that day. I’m having a party.)

National Chocolate Mint Day is on February 19 (which is so weird because that’s Jordan’s birthday and she just asked me for a mint cake – kind of freaky).

National PB&J day is April 2.

May 25 is National Wine Day. (I think I can handle that one.)

National Doughnut Day is June 1, not to be confused with National Jelly Doughnut Day on June 8.

My anniversary, July 22, is National Penuche Fudge Day, which I think I’ll have to celebrate wholly and enthusiastically.

And my birthday is National Pecan Cookie Day, September 21. I’m glad I got a good one and not one like National Acorn Squash Day, which, no offense to all the acorn squashes, just isn’t very fun.

{FYI, you can read a whole list of dates here.}

Anyway, today is World Nutella Day and I’m celebrating with Nutella Chocolate Pudding Cookies. You all know how much I love pudding cookies. I’ve made lemon. And Almond Joy. And Fruity Pebble. And I’m not done yet. I’ll never be done.

Adding a box of pudding to a cookie is genius. Nikki is the one that showed me how. They are so easy and they work. Every. Single. Time. Soft, delicious pudding cookies, flavored with whatever flavor of pudding you use and whatever add-ins you like. They stay soft for days, and I’ve never, ever gotten a hard batch. They are pretty much fool-proof. (EXCEPT. Don’t use sugar-free pudding. That can have disastrous consequences. I need to test that in a recipe more before I can allow you to do it.)

I decided on chocolate pudding for these cookies. I added some Nutella, because it’s goooood. The idea for these cookies came to me when I was cruising the Valentine aisle at Target. The Dove candy section jumped out at me. These Strawberry Swirl hearts looked pretty, and I knew they’d add color and good flavor to a chocolate Nutella pudding cookie.

The beauty of this recipe is that, if you can’t find the Strawberry Swirl hearts, you can sub what you do find. Milk or Dark Chocolate. Reese’s Hearts, anyone?

Like with pudding cookies, the options are endless!

But you have to put Nutella in something today. Because it’s Nutella Day!

What is your favorite way to eat Nutella?

Print

Nutella Chocolate Pudding Cookies with Strawberry Hearts

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Nutella
• 1 (3.4 oz) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 1 package Milk Chocolate & Strawberry Swirl Dove Hearts, unwrapped (Buy 2, just in case.)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Whisk together baking soda, baking powder, and flour and set aside.
3. Cream together butter, Nutella, and both sugars. Add the pudding package and beat until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Slowly add the flour and mix until just combined.
4. Scoop 1” balls and place on your cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a Dove Heart Promise candy on each cookie. Let cool completely before removing from cookie sheets.

Notes

If you can’t find the Strawberry Swirl Dove candies, try one of their other flavors!

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2.5

http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2013/02/nutella-chocolate-pudding-cookies-with-strawberry-hearts/

Recipe Source: www.crazyforcrust.com | (c) Crazy for Crust All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you wish to republish my recipe, please re-write it in your own words or link back to this recipe.

Other Nutella goodness:

Peanut Butter Nutella Nutter Butter Pie

Nutella Mousse for Two

Sweets from friends:
Malt Whopper Pudding Cookies by Chef In Training
Nutella Brownies from Mother Thyme
Nutella Pudding Cookies by Something Swanky

This post may be linked to: Chef in Training, Lil’ Luna, Buns In My Oven, Chic-and-Crafty, I’m Lovin’ it Fridays, Strut your Stuff Saturday, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Sundae Scoop Link Party, and all of these too!

The post Nutella Chocolate Pudding Cookies with Strawberry Hearts appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

If you love Nutella, you’re going to love this Nutella Strawberry Tart. A shortbread crust is filled with a Nutella pudding and topped with fresh strawberries. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream!

Oh my God you guys. I made heaven. Seriously.

Do you love Nutella as much as I do? I have to hide the container in my cabinet so I don’t attack it with a spoon. This tart is full of Nutella pudding. And it’s topped with strawberries. I love chocolate and strawberry together. It’s my favorite way to eat fruit, if we’re being totally honest.

On Easter we went to a buffet and they had a chocolate fountain for dessert. You know what that fountain got me to eat? Pineapple. Something I won’t normally touch with a 10-foot pole. So, yeah. Chocolate + Fruit is totally acceptable.

And the crust. The CRUST. You guys – it’s shortbread.

So, let’s put it all together. Shortbread Crust + Nutella Pudding + Strawberries = Heaven. Am I right or am I right?

Continue reading and get the recipe: Nutella Strawberry Tart & Giveaway

The post Nutella Strawberry Tart & Giveaway appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Follow me with Bloglovin’!

Pudding Cookies are some of the best cookies ever and this version has them all beat! Rocky Road Nutella Pudding Cookies combine Nutella and your favorite ice cream flavor from childhood!

When I was a kid I think Rocky Road must have been my favorite ice cream. I remember eating lots of ice cream as a child, but I remember Rocky Road the most.

Or, maybe it was that my mom loved Rocky Road ice cream the best, so it’s what she bought most frequently. Moms area like that, I should know. I do it all the time.

Anyway, I remember filling a bowl of ice cream, letting it melt a bit (now, I just nuke it for 10 seconds), and then carefully segmenting out all the nuts and marshmallows and pushing them to one side of the bowl. I’d eat all the ice cream, then savor the best part – the Rocky part of the Rocky Road.

What? That’s not how everyone eats ice cream? You don’t pick out all the cookie dough pieces and leave them for last?

Huh. Must be my weird eating habits.

Continue reading and get the recipe: Rocky Road Nutella Pudding Cookies

The post Rocky Road Nutella Pudding Cookies appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Is Mercury in retrograde or something? Because nothing has been easy this week and it’s starting to drive me crazy!

This post was supposed to be a Crust and Crumbs post. But I just couldn’t write it. I tried, approximately 1,231 times. So I stopped trying and decided to share one of my favorite comfort foods with you: a sweet sandwich.

When recipe disasters strike and when nothing seems easy all week long, even when it should be, this sandwich should be your go-to comfort food.

This sweet Chocolate Fluffernutter Sandwich is filled with Nutella and peanut butter and marshmallows. I don’t know about you, but that’s a sandwich I could eat all day long!

Plus, it’s really a peanut butter sandwich. So it counts as lunch. Remember, dessert-for-lunch means you can have dessert after lunch.

But in case you want to have a dessert sandwich after a regular one, I have a few more versions for you too:

The Southwestern Grilled Cheese. It has avocado. Would you expect anything less?

And the Veggie Lovers Delight. It has zucchini. Again, would you expect anything less?

These sandwiches have one thing in common: King’s Hawaiian Bread. King’s Hawaiian is another one of my comfort foods.

Did you know that King’s Hawaiian is having a sandwich competition? Build your ultimate sandwich with their bread and you can win some awesome prizes, including a years’ worth of King’s Hawaiian Bread!

You can also read about how to throw a fabulous sandwich party, written by yours truly over on the King’s Hawaiian Blog. Go check it out, plan your sandwich party and get the recipes for all of these sandwiches!

Looking for the recipes for these three sandwiches? Click here!

For the rest of today, I’m going to enjoy some comfort food, and hope that my ability to function returns. Banging my head against the wall isn’t working, so hopefully the planets align better next week.

Have a wonderful weekend! Go make some sandwiches, some loaded chocolate chip cookie bars, and come back next week for a theme week. Any guesses?

Thanks for reading!

 Subscribe via email and have sugar delivered straight to your inbox!

This post may be linked to: Chef in Training, Lil’ Luna, Buns In My Oven, Chic-and-Crafty, I’m Lovin’ it Fridays, Strut your Stuff Saturday, Weekend Potluck, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Sundae Scoop Link Party, and all of these too!

The post Chocolate Fluffernutter Sandwich appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

This Coffee Nutella Swirl Ice Cream is the perfect pick-me-up on a hot day! Made without an ice cream machine, it’s infused with coffee and swirled with Nutella!

Seriously, why is it so hard for kids to take a shower or bath? Is being under hot water really torture? Is being dirty and smelly enjoyable?

Here is an episode we had last night:

Me: Time for a shower!

Jordan: Can I do a wash up?

Me: Nope! Take a shower. And wash, okay?

Jordan (pouting): Fiiiiiiine.

[Shower runs. Less than 5 minutes later she's downstairs in PJs.]

Me: Did you even wash? That wasn’t long enough.

Jordan: Yes

[I go up and check the soap, the telltale sign she's lying.]

Me: The soap is dry. You didn’t wash. Go back and take another shower.

Jordan: Can I take a wash up?

[My head explodes.]

I mean really. It’s not like bathing isn’t fun. I look forward to my shower every day and my bath every night.

{Yes, I am that person. I take a bath at night and read and unplug, except for when I don’t and check Facebook on my Kindle. FYI: Gallon sized bags make your Kindle splashproof.}

I look forward to bathing as much as I look forward to coffee. And we all know how much I love my coffee!

Awhile back I got a request on Facebook for coffee ice cream. Well, of course, I said to myself. Then I can have ice cream for breakfast.

This ice cream is “easy” meaning there is no machine needed. I have an ice cream machine. It’s been in the freezer for 2.5 years, since I first discovered the easy method.

Sweetened condensed milk + Cool Whip = ice cream. Even better, I use fat-free versions of both. {You can use whipped cream in place of Cool Whip, I’m just too lazy to actually whip cream and clean the bowls.}

This version adds very strong coffee to the mixture. I brewed some instant in a small amount of water. I always have those Via packs on hand for coffee emergencies. Or, you know, when I travel. Because everyone travels with coffee, splenda, and creamer packets, right?

Then, well. Nutella. I swirled it through before freezing. It creates a thick fudgy ribbon of amazingness throughout the ice cream.

I love this flavor of easy ice cream! You’ll love it too.

More than Jordan loves showering, but less than she loves lying to me, I’ll bet.

Print

Coffee Nutella Swirl Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1 packet instant coffee (I use Starbucks Via) or about 1/2 tablespoon from a jar
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (I use fat-free)
• 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 tubs) Cool Whip (I use fat-free)*
• 1/2 cup Nutella

Instructions

1. Mix instant coffee into 1/4 cup hot water. Stir and let sit to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Stir coffee mixture and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl. (I like using a large Tupperware bowl, so it can be frozen in the same bowl.) Fold in Cool Whip.
3. Place Nutella in a small bowl and microwave for 20 seconds to thin it out. Pour slowly into ice cream mixture while folding. You don’t want to completely mix it in, you just want rivers of it flowing through the ice cream.
4. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight until it becomes ice cream consistency.

Notes

*You can substitute freshly whipped cream for the Cool Whip. Whip 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form, and use all of it in place of the Cool Whip.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2.5

http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2013/08/coffee-nutella-swirl-ice-cream/

Recipe Source: www.crazyforcrust.com | (c) Crazy for Crust All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you wish to republish my recipe, please re-write it in your own words or link back to this recipe.

Cookies ‘n Mint Easy Ice Cream

Easy Peanut Butter Cheesecake Ice Cream

Sweets from friends:
Easy Caramel Sauce by Something Swanky
Oreo Fudge Cappuccino Ice Cream by Inside BruCrew Life
Honey Ricotta Ice Cream by Wonky Wonderful

 Subscribe via email and have sugar delivered straight to your inbox!

This post may be linked to: Chef in Training, Lil’ Luna, Buns In My Oven, Chic-and-Crafty, I’m Lovin’ it Fridays, Strut your Stuff Saturday, Weekend Potluck, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Sundae Scoop Link Party, and all of these too!

The post Coffee Nutella Swirl Ice Cream appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

It’s almost September which means it’s APPLE time! I absolutely cannot get enough of desserts with apples.

And these caramel apple nachos fit right in with that can’t-get-enough statement. Especially because they’re infused with tons of hazelnut and chocolate flavor.

When I was a kid I hated peas. They were flavorless, mushy, and green.

I didn’t like green things as a kid. Vegetables? No thank you.

In an ongoing effort to get me to eat my vegetables with dinner, my mom would sprinkle sugar on the peas to get me to eat them. Guess what? It worked.

When I grew up and began eating peas all by themselves minus the sugar, I vowed never to do that for Jordan. She’ll eat her fruits and vegetables the way I cook them darn it! And she’ll never complain! And she’ll know they’re good for her!

It’s really funny how, as a 20-something without kids, you can totally proclaim what kind of parent makes a good one and what you’re going to do as a parent. Then you have a kid and all that goes out the window and you let them eat cookies for breakfast and pizza for dinner three times in a row because oh the whining will it ever stop.

Anyway, Jordan hates vegetables and tolerates fruit. I don’t put sugar on her peas but I do let her buy the apple packs that come with caramel. Because otherwise I know she’s just throwing away her apples at school and telling me she eats them. How do I know this? Because she told me so.

She’s honest, if nothing else.

Anyway, those caramel and apple packs gave me an idea: I needed to make caramel apple nachos for dessert. Because then she’s eating fruit with her dessert. Which maybe doesn’t make it healthy, but it sure does make it healthier than eating a brownie or a bowl of ice cream with no fruit in sight.

Right? That’s totally true. Just go with me on that.

So, let’s talk about caramel apple nachos. You’ve seen them, right? They’re all over pinterest, with all different variations. S’mores, peanut butter, chocolate. Basically you slice some apples and drizzle caramel all over them and some nuts or chocolate or whatnot and you have a sweet snack with apples instead of tortilla chips.

I mean, I love real nachos as much as the next girl, but give me nachos with caramel and chocolate? I love that way more.

These caramel apple nachos are different because they’re hazelnut caramel apple nachos. I infused the caramel sauce with hazelnut flavor, sprinkled the top of the nachos with chopped hazelnuts, and drizzled chocolate hazelnut spread (i.e. Nutella) over the caramel.

In my opinion? Best caramel apple nachos ever. I absolutely love the flavor the hazelnut adds. But don’t worry, you don’t have to go buy another flavored extract (that you’ll probably never use again).

Instead, you can use my secret ingredient to make the hazelnut caramel.

International Delight Hazelnut Coffee Creamer! Chances are, if you love coffee creamer, you have some of this already in your fridge. I think it’s probably one of the more popular flavors (I see it everywhere).

I used the sugar-free, fat-free Toasted Hazelnut flavor, but they also sell regular Hazelnut and sugar-free Hazelnut. Tip: don’t like hazelnut? You can use whatever coffee creamer flavor you like.

To make the caramel, you simply melt caramel squares with some of the coffee creamer until smooth. Normally you’d use heavy cream for this step but, like with chocolate sauce, you can swap the creamer for the cream.

Then, just spread out your apples (I used Gala, but you can also use Granny Smith or your favorite apple) and drizzle with the caramel, chocolate hazelnut spread, and chopped hazelnuts. I also added chocolate chips because, well. Everything is better with more chocolate.

These Hazelnut Caramel Apple Nachos would make a fabulous dessert. Your kids won’t even realize they’re eating something healthier. Or, surprise them with an afterschool snack. You’ll officially be the coolest mom on the planet.

Which, I think, was my mom’s title back when I was a kid. I mean – a mom that actually sprinkled sugar on vegetables? That was probably legendary to my friends. At least, it should have been.

Print

Hazelnut Caramel Apple Nachos

Yield: 3-4 servings

An easy snack or dessert, these caramel apple nachos are infused with hazelnut flavor using coffee creamer!

Ingredients

• 15 caramel squares, unwrapped
• 1/4 cup International Delight Hazelnut Creamer
• 2 apples (your favorite), cored and sliced into wedges
• 2 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread
• Chopped hazelnuts and/or mini chocolate chips for garnish

Instructions

1. Place the caramels and creamer in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until the caramel is melted and smooth. This will take about 2 minutes, depending on your microwave.
2. Chill the caramel until it's pourable but not runny, at least 15 minutes.
3. When ready to assemble the nachos: arrange the sliced apples on serving plate. Place the caramel in a sandwich bag with the tip cut off and pipe over apples. Place the chocolate hazelnut spread in a bowl and heat for about 20 seconds in the microwave, or just until it will drizzle without being too thick. Place it in another sandwich bag, cut off the tip, and drizzle over caramel. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and chocolate chips, if desired.

Notes

Don't like hazelnut? Use your favorite coffee creamer flavor or substitute heavy whipping cream for the coffee creamer.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2.6

http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2014/08/hazelnut-caramel-apple-nachos/

Recipe Source: www.crazyforcrust.com | (c) Crazy for Crust All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you wish to republish my recipe, please re-write it in your own words or link back to this recipe.

Connect with International Delight on Pinterest or Facebook or sign up to be a part of the International Delight Community!

Peanut Butter Caramel Apple Dip

Ice Cream Apple Dip

Apple Cheesecake Bars

Sweets from friends:
Apple Nachos by Shugary Sweets
Fluffernutter Apple Nachos by Inside BruCrew Life
Samoas Apple Salad by Something Swanky

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Hazelnut Caramel Apple Nachos appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Some days you just want an ooey, gooey s’more. Today? Is one of those days.

On the ooey, gooey, chewy front, we had something BIG happen last week. Big! Huge!

Jordan got her braces off!!!! (You can see her pretty smile here.)

She’s had her braces for about 2 1/2 years. (She’s 10, if you’re keeping track.) She got them years before all of her friends and she got them off just as they’re all starting to get them on. That’s because (1) we have really big teeth and really small palates and (2) she sucked her thumb for about 5 years.

{When she stuck her thumb in her mouth at 4 months and finally stopped crying I was elated. 6 years later at the orthodontist? Not so much.}

As I’d promised her, we went to this fabulous Willy Wonka-esque candy store for lunch that day. She picked out a pound of various jelly beans, taffy, caramels, and gummies. I’m letting her go hog wild on chewy things until Wednesday when she gets her permanent bottom retainer. (Such a buzzkill.)

And then in about 2 years we’ll get to do it all over again…with phase 2. (Again…total buzzkill.)

One thing she could always enjoy, even with braces? S’mores.

Continue reading and get the recipe: S’mores Blondies

The post S’mores Blondies appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Sometimes you just want comfort food for breakfast. These Easy Pancake Rolls are comfort food at it’s finest, and you can fill them with your favorite flavors.

Are you a Nutella? Or a Peanut Butter? Or a Lemon? Or something else entirely? I’m all three.

Last week was Spring Break for us. We spent it visiting family in San Diego. The week before that, the last week of school, was state testing week. Do you have common core where you are?

{If you said no, please tell me where you live. I want to move there.}

Common core is new here in California this year. Writing my feelings about this curriculum and how it’s being taught and handled is a post in itself (and it would probably include lots of swear words). Next year I’ll be opting Jordan out of testing, but I didn’t realize you could do that in time for this year’s tests.

What’s a kid need on state testing days? Pancakes of course. (With a side of protein and fruit, obvi.) Pancakes are Jordan’s comfort food. These pancake rolls are the ones she asks for most often. She eats them for breakfast, we eat them for brinner, and she often has them for an after school snack.

Continue reading and get the recipe: Easy Pancake Rolls, 3 ways

The post Easy Pancake Rolls, 3 ways appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

This recipe is even easier than the last one I posted: it only has 2 ingredients AND it tastes just like a copycat fudgesicle. #win

You know what happens when you go to Costco on a day you’re craving chocolate BAD? You come home with two ginormous jars of Nutella, that’s what happens. Then you make a gazillion desserts and try not to eat them. #truestory

However, lucky for you, these fudge pops are one of the desserts I made with that impulse buy. Since these only have 2 ingredients you can make them in about 5 minutes. The hardest part is letting them freeze! (I almost drank the mixture with a straw.)

Not many rich and indulgent chocolatey desserts can be made with only 2 ingredients. I’m trying to think of one as I type and nothing is coming to mind…except this recipe, obviously. So, what’s the #2 ingredient? Liquid. You need something liquidy so that the gooey chocolate spread will freeze into a pop.

Since more chocolate is always better, the second ingredient had to be chocolate too: Almond Breeze Chocolate Almond Milk.

We’ve talked before how much I love almond milk. I use it every day on cereal, I replace milk with it in most of my baking recipes, and it makes great smoothies. I can’t wait to try chocolate almond milk with my bran flakes. It’ll make them taste way better, I’m sure.

More chocolate > Less chocolate #truth

It seems that I’ve been all about easy recipes the last few days. Probably because it’s summer and I’m hot and I just don’t feel like working. Also, I’m pretending like it’s fall and baking pumpkin this and candy corn that 4 times a day…so when it comes to what I’m posting NOW, it’s gotta be fast. These pops totally satisfy that requirement.

Remember how I said they only took 5 minutes to make? Totally true. Last week, the day I bought Costco out of it’s Nutella stash, I was craving a spoonful after dinner. We were watching America’s Got Talent and my mind was wandering to what I could make with the chocolate almond milk on my counter.

Continue reading and get the recipe: 2 ingredient Fudge Pops

The post 2 ingredient Fudge Pops appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Oh yeah, I’m going there. Hello August, hello PUMPKIN!

Okay, so even if you’re not all “Yay, It’s August, I can make all things pumpkin!” you still need this recipe in your life. Bookmark it, pin it, print it, whatever. You MUST make these bars at some point over the next few months. They’re life changing, gooey amazing, OMG bars.

I could not stop eating these. I kept going back for just one more bite…every 5 minutes. Remember all that Nutella I bought? Some of that went into these.

The rest went onto a spoon.

Last week, if you follow me on Instagram, you might know that I was in Vancouver, Canada. I fell in love with that city. I seriously could see myself living there. It’s so clean and beautiful and fun.

The reason for my trip was that my husband has a client there. He’s been going to Vancouver once a month since January and he knew I’d love to visit. We extended his work trip by a couple of days so we could sightsee together and celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary, and then I was on my own for a few days while he worked.

The two days he was working I shopped. And by “shopped” I mean I ate my way across downtown Vancouver. Doughnuts, pastries, coffee, chocolate, hard cider…you name it I ate it. One day I went to the drug store and bought $40 in chocolate bars that you can’t buy in the US.

What does this have to do with these Pumpkin Nutella Cookie Bars? Well, if there is one theme that ran through my trip to Canada, it’s that international people love their Nutella. It’s everywhere.

Nutella coffee, Nutella crepes, Nutella pastries…you guys, every single bakery and coffee house had some sort of Nutella on the menu. The USA needs to get with the program. Am I right or AM I RIGHT?

All week long I was reminded of those huge jars of Nutella and these bars that were already gone from my freezer.

And all week long I dreamed about making them again (and again and again).

I’m kind of posting this recipe out of order, because I developed the base pumpkin cookie recipe for some not-yet-posted cookies. Over the past 2 years I’ve tried several pumpkin cookie recipes and made so many adjustments and done so many trials to find my favorite one. The base of these bars is that cookie recipe.

I promise to go into pumpkin cookie anatomy at a later date. Just take my word for it: these pumpkin cookie bars are perfectly pumpkin-y, perfectly spiced, and totally fall. Or summer. Or whenever!

As most of my recipes are, these gooey cookie bars are really easy to make. You press half your dough into the bottom of a 9×9″ square pan. You partially bake the bottom layer, then you drizzle pure Nutella over the base and layer the rest of the cookie dough on top. Once they finish baking and cool they become a gooey, chocolatey pumpkin cookie bar.

Pumpkin and Chocolate is one of those combos you don’t know you love until you try. I pinky swear you’ll love it!

And, if you don’t love Nutella (????) you can use any chocolate spread in these bars. Hershey’s and Reese’s both have versions of chocolate spread. All of them would be perfect in these!

Don’t hate on me for starting pumpkin already. I just couldn’t help it. And once you try these, you’ll understand why!

Pumpkin Nutella Cookie Bars

Yield: 16 bars

These Pumpkin Nutella Cookie Bars will knock your socks off! They're full of rich pumpkin flavor and filled with gooey Nutella!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Nutella (or other chocolate spread)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Place melted butter, pumpkin, and both sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can also use a hand mixer, if you prefer. Mix until smooth, about 30 seconds. Mix in egg yolk, baking soda, salt, spices, and vanilla. Mix in flour until batter is smooth. It’ll be a soft batter.
3. Press half the batter in the bottom of the pan. The batter is sticky so you may want to spray your hands with cooking spray. It’ll be a thin layer in the bottom of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
4. Place Nutella (or other chocolate spread) in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for just a few seconds until pourable. Pour evenly over the top of the partially baked crust. Spread it carefully so it doesn’t rip the cookie bars. Scoop tablespoons of batter over the top and carefully spread with your fingers. It won’t be a smooth layer but will mostly cover.
5. Bake an additional 17-20 minutes until the top is no longer glossy and the edges are golden brown. Cool completely before slicing.
6. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

© Crazy for Crust. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.

No Bake Pumpkin Dessert

Butterscotch Blondie Gooey Bars

Pumpkin Toffee Gooey Bars

Sweets from friends:
Pumpkin Silk Pie by The Gunny Sack
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake by Will Cook For Smiles
Oatmeal Cookie Pumpkin S’mores Gooey Bars by Chelsea’s Messy Apron

The post Pumpkin Nutella Cookie Bars appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Holy cow. Easy 3-ingredient Nutella Truffles. Because sometimes you just need chocolate, am I right?

Jordan’s in the 5th grade this year, and 5th graders get to join the band. I was kind of shocked that music still existed in the public school system, but she was all excited when she brought home the flyer. I was excited too, remembering back to my clarinet playing days.

The kids had just a few instruments to choose from and Jordan picked the violin. Lord help us all.

I’m sort of kidding, I love how the violin sounds…when the Dixie Chicks play. So I’m sure a 10 year old who totally pays attention to everything teachers say will play and sound just fine. Right?

It really doesn’t matter how it sounds though, it’s supposed to be fun. I expect her to enjoy herself right up until Tuesday night after the first session…when they remind her to practice for 20 minutes every day.

20 minutes of violin practice vs 20 minutes of watching daily routines on YouTube. Hmmm….I’m really not sure which one will win.

Something that will win and is way easier than playing violin? These Nutella Truffles. Oh my gosh, y’all. You can make them when you don’t even have a kitchen. #truth

Continue reading and get the recipe: 3-ingredient Nutella Truffles

The post 3-ingredient Nutella Truffles appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Raise your hand if you love ooey gooey breakfast danishes. Yes? Good, then you’ll need this Raspberry Nutella Danish ASAP!

You know how, normally, when you go to the Apple store you wait and wait and wait? And then you talk to someone – finally – and then you have to wait some more? Well, it turns out that if you walk in and tell the greeter you want to buy a Thunderbird Display, they’ll have it in your hot little hands and out the door in under 10 minutes.

Hey, when a girl knows what she wants…a girl knows, right?

Anyway, so now I have this super new monitor, which is actually bigger than the TV my family had growing up, and when I came to write this post I realized that the photos were horrible. Like, so dark I couldn’t go on without re-editing them. So that’s what I’ve been doing the last 15 minutes instead of reading in the bathtub.

New technology. Sigh. #firstworldproblems

Also? I’m not looking at any old blog posts on this monitor EVER AGAIN. (Also, I know these are still too bright…it’s a learning curve.)

Have I ever mentioned my desk is a $25 Ikea table? So now this HUGE monitor is sitting on this table and it feels like I’m front row at the cinema. And now I think I need glasses, because, sure, I can make the windows 27″ wide but the font stays the same size no matter if I’m on this display or my laptop. So I can’t read what I’m typing right now…so typos are not my fault, mmkay?

And I’m doing all of this so I can bring you pretty pictures of things like an easy Raspberry Nutella Danish. Again, total #firstworldproblems

Continue reading and get the recipe: Easy Raspberry Nutella Danish

The post Easy Raspberry Nutella Danish appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Today I made you Nutella Crumble Cake Bars: an easy 4 ingredient recipe that starts with cake mix and is filled with gooey chocolate!

PIN FOR LATER!

Are you ready for some easy cake bars? I sure am.

Tomorrow is my mom’s birthday (happy birthday mom!) and I always look forward to making her birthday treats. My mom is the best guinea pig; she’ll eat any dessert I make her! Over the years I’ve made her Turtle Brownies and a Turtle Cake Roll, and last year I made a Snickers Poke Cake. Do you see any themes running through those? My mom LOVES chocolate. She’s a certified chocoholic.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

This year, instead of an elaborate cake or single flavor of cookie or brownie, I decided to make my mom a checkerboard of dessert. I put together a pan, checkerboard style, of some of my favorite brownies and bars: Oreo Truffle Brownies, Nutter Butter Truffle Brownies, Oatmeal Scotchie Cheesecake Bars, and these Nutella Crumb Cake Bars.

Favorite. Birthday Dessert. Yet.

These bars could not be easier to make. They only have 4 ingredients: cake mix, butter, egg, and Nutella. That’s it!

Continue reading and get the recipe: Nutella Crumble Cake Bars

The post Nutella Crumble Cake Bars appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

I love making homemade Oreos, especially when I come up with new flavors they don’t make in real life. Like, say NUTELLA Oreos. Watch out, my friends, these are irresistible!

Okay, so I held off a week to give everyone time to catch up on their DVR’d shows. Can we all talk about how horribly they ended The Good Wife? Like, not even horrible. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give it a -100.

I absolutely have loved that show since day 1. It ranks up there for me with West Wing, Friday Night Lights, and Newsroom. I’ve been a faithful watcher and #TeamAlicia member for seven seasons. I didn’t even skip an episode when they killed off Will. I was shocked and saddened when I saw the season ender announcement during the Super Bowl. And then, after all these years, they end the show like that? A slap and no happy love ending? No ending at all?

We were so shocked we rewound it and watched it a second time, then checked to make sure the DVR hadn’t malfunctioned.

Apparently the writers decided that, since Alicia had gone from hero to a quasi-villian, they’d end it by making her think about where she landed. The slap is supposed to wake her up and make her re-evaluate her life because nothing is ever over – her life goes on, we just don’t get to see it.

NEWSFLASH to all the TV writers: I live my life and it’s every day mundanity (<– OMG, that IS A REAL WORD and I’m actually smart, I know because I just googled it!) and I watch TV to be intrigued. To be happy, to experience joy and fairy tales and see things about life that I don’t get to see as a regular person.

If I have to google your series finale because I think the network must have counted wrong and there were really TWO more episodes left, then there’s something wrong with your writing.

Please tell me I’m not the only one that feels this way? I swear, this is kind of worse than when McDreamy died.

Something that won’t let you down? These Nutella Oreos. They are ah-mazing. Freaking rad. They’ll leave you wanting more and you’ll get more because you can just make them yourself.

These are the kind of cookie you take one bite of (for quality control purposes, obvi) and then you immediately re-home them to someone else because you can’t even deal with having them on your counter for even 5 minutes.

They’re that good. A fresh, soft, homemade dark chocolate cookie sandwich that tastes just like an Oreo cookie filled with the BEST Nutella frosting you’ll ever eat. It’s light, fluffy, and the perfect amount of sweet.

And did I mention NUTELLA?

Continue reading and get the recipe: Homemade Nutella Oreos

The post Homemade Nutella Oreos appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

It’s almost September which means it’s APPLE time! I absolutely cannot get enough of desserts with apples.

And these caramel apple nachos fit right in with that can’t-get-enough statement. Especially because they’re infused with tons of hazelnut and chocolate flavor.

When I was a kid I hated peas. They were flavorless, mushy, and green.

I didn’t like green things as a kid. Vegetables? No thank you.

In an ongoing effort to get me to eat my vegetables with dinner, my mom would sprinkle sugar on the peas to get me to eat them. Guess what? It worked.

When I grew up and began eating peas all by themselves minus the sugar, I vowed never to do that for Jordan. She’ll eat her fruits and vegetables the way I cook them darn it! And she’ll never complain! And she’ll know they’re good for her!

It’s really funny how, as a 20-something without kids, you can totally proclaim what kind of parent makes a good one and what you’re going to do as a parent. Then you have a kid and all that goes out the window and you let them eat cookies for breakfast and pizza for dinner three times in a row because oh the whining will it ever stop.

Anyway, Jordan hates vegetables and tolerates fruit. I don’t put sugar on her peas but I do let her buy the apple packs that come with caramel. Because otherwise I know she’s just throwing away her apples at school and telling me she eats them. How do I know this? Because she told me so.

She’s honest, if nothing else.

Anyway, those caramel and apple packs gave me an idea: I needed to make caramel apple nachos for dessert. Because then she’s eating fruit with her dessert. Which maybe doesn’t make it healthy, but it sure does make it healthier than eating a brownie or a bowl of ice cream with no fruit in sight.

Right? That’s totally true. Just go with me on that.

So, let’s talk about caramel apple nachos. You’ve seen them, right? They’re all over pinterest, with all different variations. S’mores, peanut butter, chocolate. Basically you slice some apples and drizzle caramel all over them and some nuts or chocolate or whatnot and you have a sweet snack with apples instead of tortilla chips.

I mean, I love real nachos as much as the next girl, but give me nachos with caramel and chocolate? I love that way more.

These caramel apple nachos are different because they’re hazelnut caramel apple nachos. I infused the caramel sauce with hazelnut flavor, sprinkled the top of the nachos with chopped hazelnuts, and drizzled chocolate hazelnut spread (i.e. Nutella) over the caramel.

In my opinion? Best caramel apple nachos ever. I absolutely love the flavor the hazelnut adds. But don’t worry, you don’t have to go buy another flavored extract (that you’ll probably never use again).

Instead, you can use my secret ingredient to make the hazelnut caramel.

International Delight Hazelnut Coffee Creamer! Chances are, if you love coffee creamer, you have some of this already in your fridge. I think it’s probably one of the more popular flavors (I see it everywhere).

I used the sugar-free, fat-free Toasted Hazelnut flavor, but they also sell regular Hazelnut and sugar-free Hazelnut. Tip: don’t like hazelnut? You can use whatever coffee creamer flavor you like.

To make the caramel, you simply melt caramel squares with some of the coffee creamer until smooth. Normally you’d use heavy cream for this step but, like with chocolate sauce, you can swap the creamer for the cream.

Then, just spread out your apples (I used Gala, but you can also use Granny Smith or your favorite apple) and drizzle with the caramel, chocolate hazelnut spread, and chopped hazelnuts. I also added chocolate chips because, well. Everything is better with more chocolate.

These Hazelnut Caramel Apple Nachos would make a fabulous dessert. Your kids won’t even realize they’re eating something healthier. Or, surprise them with an afterschool snack. You’ll officially be the coolest mom on the planet.

Which, I think, was my mom’s title back when I was a kid. I mean – a mom that actually sprinkled sugar on vegetables? That was probably legendary to my friends. At least, it should have been. 🙂

Print Recipe

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review »

Hazelnut Caramel Apple Nachos

3-4 servings

An easy snack or dessert, these caramel apple nachos are infused with hazelnut flavor using coffee creamer!

Ingredients:

• 15 caramel squares, unwrapped


• 1/4 cup International Delight Hazelnut Creamer


• 2 apples (your favorite), cored and sliced into wedges


• 2 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread


• Chopped hazelnuts and/or mini chocolate chips for garnish

Directions:

1. Place the caramels and creamer in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until the caramel is melted and smooth. This will take about 2 minutes, depending on your microwave.


2. Chill the caramel until it's pourable but not runny, at least 15 minutes.


3. When ready to assemble the nachos: arrange the sliced apples on serving plate. Place the caramel in a sandwich bag with the tip cut off and pipe over apples. Place the chocolate hazelnut spread in a bowl and heat for about 20 seconds in the microwave, or just until it will drizzle without being too thick. Place it in another sandwich bag, cut off the tip, and drizzle over caramel. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and chocolate chips, if desired.

Recipe © Crazy for Crust. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.

All images and text ©Dorothy Kern for © Crazy for Crust. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.

Connect with International Delight on Pinterest or Facebook or sign up to be a part of the International Delight Community!

Peanut Butter Caramel Apple Dip

Ice Cream Apple Dip

Apple Cheesecake Bars

Sweets from friends:
Apple Nachos by Shugary Sweets
Fluffernutter Apple Nachos by Inside BruCrew Life
Samoas Apple Salad by Something Swanky

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Hazelnut Caramel Apple Nachos appeared first on Crazy for Crust.