BlogHer Topic - Food - Editor's Picks

A Red Velvet Cake for Valentine's Day

Genie Gratto — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

[Editor's Note: Today's the final day of our 14-day celebration of chocolate, and our party's going to culminate with this amazing, heart-shaped, cocoa-riffic red velvet cake from Sprinkle Bakes. It's a perfect dessert to show how much you love all the people in your life. Happy Valentine's Day! --Genie]

Heritage Red Velvet Cake

I have made and tasted many versions of red velvet cake, but this one stands out as a favorite. I call it "heritage" red velvet because it has been passed down, passed around—and now I'm passing it on to you! This recipe uses butter instead of shortening or oil, and it is bright red as opposed to the usual dark red or brown-red.

Image Credit: Sprinkle Bakes, used by permission.

Kitchen Craft: Croutons (Plus a Caesar Salad Recipe)

art and lemons — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

2012 is going to be big I tell ya, BIG. Lots of videos and crafty projects are on the horizon. Let's not forget about my office cleaning project which might take me the entire month (or more) to sort through and organize but I'm into sweepingly bold statements this month as the shredder hums through old files and magazines in the background.

I've wiped out the old year and made a list of things to do this year. More croutons. More salads. More writing. Less waiting. That's the short list, anyway.

I'm not sure why more people don't make their own croutons. They are, after all, cubes or slices of bread that are either toasted plain or seasoned with herbs and oil and sometimes cheese. Take any good country-style bread, cut or tear it into bite-size pieces, toss the bread with a garlic, rosemary, and olive oil paste and toast in a 400F oven for 15 minutes. I often make meals out of them. Dips, salads, soups...

kitchen craft: croutons from Nikki Gardner on Vimeo.

I made this Caesar salad (no eggs, Parmesan, or anchovies in sight) just before the holiday rush and I have to tell you, I can't put my salad fork down.

Even at breakfast.

Here's to the start of a new year—may we all sit down, write, and eat good food. Cheers!

Now for the crouton recipe...

Garlic Rosemary Croutons

2 garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)

1 sprig fresh rosemary (leaves removed and stem discarded)

1/4 cup or more extra-virgin olive oil

1 loaf good country-style bread (fresh or day-old bread works best)

Preheat oven to 400F.

Cut off the crusts of bread and cut or tear into bite-size pieces. Pound 2 cloves of garlic along with the rosemary leaves to a paste in a mortar, then drizzle in the olive oil. Toss the cut pieces of bread in a bowl with the garlic rosemary oil.

Spread the cubes of bread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, shake the pan a bit to roll the cubes around and to make sure they color evenly. If you like your toasty croutons a bit crunchier, leave them in for another 5 to 10 minutes—just keep an eye on them so them don't become teeth crackers.

the salad dressing...

Caesar Dressing

Yield about 2 cups of dressing

6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) silken tofu

1/4 cup raw cashew nuts

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon capers, drained

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon white miso paste

1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup or honey

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Combine the first ten ingredients (everything but the oil and salt and pepper) in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Turn the machine back on and slowly add the oil in a thin stream. Continue to blend until the dressing is emulsified, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

and finally, the salad. It seems like work to build a salad like this, but in truth, once the dressing and croutons are made, you'll have a readymade meal for the next week or so. Not bad for a little prep work, I say.

Caesar Salad

Yield 2 servings

1 small head romaine lettuce, chopped

caesar dressing

croutons

caperberries

Place the lettuce and a handful or two (or more!) of croutons in a large salad bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of dressing to taste (you want enough to coat the lettuce without drowning in it) and toss well to coat. Garnish with caperberries and serve right away.

(This recipe for Caesar Salad takes inspiration from Tal Ronnen's excellent book The Conscious Cook).

Nikki Gardner
I cook, make photographs, and tell stories.
www.artandlemons.com
@artandlemons

Foodies Forever

Chocolate Blueberry Dahlia Cake

delicieux — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:00:00 +0000

I think we all have our own visions of what we consider to be the ultimate death by chocolate experience, and well, this is mine.

I love chocolate in all forms, most especially dark chocolate. It's rich, smooth and just amazingly good. Even better it's high in antioxidants, which is how I justify in my mind eating it daily!

So when it came to creating my ultimate Death By Chocolate Dessert, I began with a delicious flour-free chocolate cake that is packed full of dark chocolate. Half a kilogram of chocolate, in fact! After trimming the cake to reveal a flat surface I then added a layer of Chocolate De Lice. Chocolate De Lice, if you're not familiar, is essentially a set chocolate custard, that once set has an amazing mousse-like texture.

To decorate the cake I made some chocolate lace cookies and then arranged them in a flower pattern, and filled in the center with some beautiful blueberries, and thus my Chocolate Dahlia Cake was born.

So how does it taste? Well, in a word…AMAZING!!! (Even if I do say so myself.) It's a deliciously rich and moist chocolate cake topped with chocolate mousse and smothered in chocolate glaze….it was all of my chocolate fantasies come true! Don’t get me wrong—it’s rich, INSANELY rich….but isn’t that what Death By Chocolate Cake is all about?

Black Dahlia Cake

Prep time: 60 minutes
Cook time: 65 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Serves: 10

Cake base recipe adapted from Valli Little’s Simply The Best. Chocolate Mousse recipe adapted from Raymond Blanc Delice de Chocolat. Chocolate Lace Cookies adapted from Martha Stewart.

Ingredients

CAKE:

500g of dark chocolate, chopped
125g of unsalted butter, chopped into cubes
6 eggs, separated
90g of caster sugar
150ml of cream
3 tbs of Chambord liqueur
1/2 tsp of cream of tartar

MOUSSE:

70 ml of full cream milk
160 ml of double cream
1 egg
170g of 70% cocoa chocolate
3 tsp of Chambord liqueur

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

6 oz of dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup of cream

CHOCOLATE LACE COOKIES:

2 tbsp plus 1 tsp packed light-brown sugar
15 grams unsalted butter
2 tbsp glucose syrup
1 tbsp of cocoa
1 tbsp of flour
1/4 cup of almond meal

DECORATION:

1 tbsp of blueberries
1 tsp of caster sugar

Method:

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 180 celsius (355 Fahrenheit) and grease and line a 24cm spring form tin with baking paper.
Combine the chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl and sit over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
In the bowl of an electric mixer whisk the egg yolks until very thick and pale and then gently fold in the cream, Chambord or other berry liqueur and cooled chocolate. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until it forms stiff peaks. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the chocolate and egg yolk mixture and gently fold through. Repeat with remaining 2/3 until combined.
Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Set aside to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack.
To make the mousse heat the milk and cream in a saucepan. As you are doing this, whisk the egg in the bowl of an electric mixer until it is frothy and then pour in the milk and cream mixture. Continue to whisk for a minute before returning to the heat (turn the heat down to low). When the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon add the chocolate and Chambord and stir until smooth. With the cake still in the tine, pour over the top of the cooled cake and leave in the refrigerator overnight to set.
To make the lace cookies preheat the oven to 175 degrees celsius (350 Fahrenheit) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine the sugar, butter and glucose syrup in a saucepan over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted. Add the cocoa, flour and almond meal and stir to combine.
Drop teaspoon-sized dollops of the mixture onto the prepared baking tray and bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Let the cookies sit for a minute before removing from the tray with a spatula and rolling over a rolling pin to achieve the curved shape. Leave the cookies to set (this will only take a couple of minutes).
For the chocolate glaze, place the cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Place the chocolate in a separate bowl and pour the cream over the top and set aside for 5 minutes. Then stir until smooth.
Un-mold the cake, set it on a wire rack and line underneath the rack with baking paper. Using an instant read thermometer, check the temperature of the glaze. When it is between 95 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit pour over the top of the cake.
Combine the blueberries and caster sugar in a bowl and swirl to coat the blueberries in the sugar. Place the sugared blueberries in a circle in the center of the cake and surround with the lace cookie petals.

Notes:

The cake will puff up dramatically in the oven and, when removed, will collapse in the center. Using a sharp knife trim the edges to achieve a flat surface for the cake.

When making the chocolate glaze, try not to over-stir the mixture, as this will cause the glaze to lose its shine. To easily glaze the cake, the temperature of the glaze should be between 95 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit to help it flow and glide over the top of the cake.

Nutrition Week 7: Breakfast

appetiteforhealth — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:25:45 +0000

Week Seven of Inspiration to Fitness! Challenge... We're almost there!

8 Weeks & 8 Life-Changing Ways to Upgrade Your Diet

Julie and I are thrilled to be blogging every week to challenge you to make a positive change to your eating. If you missed the previous weeks, you can still catch up and follow along at your own pace. Review our earlier posts and you can incorporate week one’s goal into your diet starting today.

This week’s focus is on breakfast. You’ve heard it before: breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. But too many of us are missing out! Are you one of the more than 150 million Americans who do not eat breakfast? Or is your idea of “breakfast” coffee and a doughnut? If so, make 2012 your year to build a better breakfast!

What’s the Big Deal with Breakfast?

There are several key reasons why you should start everyday with a nutritious morning meal:

1. Breakfast boosts your metabolism. By starting your day with a balance of healthy carbohydrates (including fiber!) and protein, you will boost calorie burning by speeding up your metabolism. So you really can eat to lose weight!  

2. Breakfast eaters are leaner. People who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain healthy weight than those who do not. In fact research shows that some 78% of successful dieters almost always eat breakfast compared to just 4% who rarely eat it. Why? Not only does breakfast boost metabolism, what begins with skipping breakfast often builds to an evening finale of excess portions and high calorie food. A solid breakfast can keep you from overeating later in the day.

3. Breakfast provides the “fuel” to jumpstart your day. Eating a balanced morning meal will help you perform at your best, both mentally and physically.  

BUILD A BETTER BREAKFAST IN 3 EASY STEPS

Step 1) Protein.  A study published recently in the journal Obesity added to the growing scientific literature showing that eating more protein at breakfast can help you eat less at your next meal, reduce cravings for “unhealthy” foods, making it easier to stick with your resolve to eat healthier and control calories. Good sources of protein include eggs, lowfat yogurt and cottage cheese, nut butters and protein-rich whole grain bread. 

Step 2) Whole Grains.  Whole grains will give you the energy you need to fuel your morning plus filling fiber to curb hunger. Look for whole grain bread with at least 3 g of fiber, cereal with at least 5 g of fiber, or oatmeal. 

Step 3) Fruits and Veggies.  We all need more fruits and veggies, and breakfast is the perfect time to get a few servings in your diet. They will add vitamins and minerals, fiber, and disease-fighting antioxidants to your morning meal.

No Time, You Say?

If you think you don’t have time for breakfast, think again. In just 10 minutes or less, you can have a tasty, nutritious meal that will start your day off right. For some fast, healthy breakfast ideas, check out the list below:

10 Breakfasts in Less than 10 Minutes 

▪ Oatmeal yum. Top 1 cup of plain oatmeal with 2 tablespoons each of chopped nuts and dried fruit, a pinch of cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey. 

▪ “Egg-lish” muffin crostini & cheese. Put 1 poached egg, 1 slice of lean ham, and 1 thin (1/2 ounce) slice of Swiss cheese on a ½ toasted whole-wheat English muffin. 

▪ B&B bruschetta. Top 1 slice of whole-wheat toast with 1 tablespoon of all-natural nut butter, 1/2 sliced banana, and a drizzle of honey. 

▪ Cereal & fruit. Pour 1 cup of skim milk (or calcium-fortified soy milk) over 1 cup of high-fiber, whole-grain cereal and serve with 1/2 pink or red grapefruit on the side. 

▪ Waffle wise. Toast 2 low-fat whole-grain frozen waffles with 1/2 cup fresh (or thawed, unsweetened frozen) berries and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. 

▪ “Egg-lish” muffin & greens. Stuff 1 whole-wheat English muffin with 1 cooked egg, 1 slice of cooked Canadian bacon, watercress or baby spinach, and a squirt of lemon. 

▪ Cheese toast. Top a slice of whole-wheat toast with 1 slice of part-skim mozzarella cheese with a few fresh basil leaves; serve with 1 cup low-sodium 100 percent vegetable juice (add a few drops of hot sauce for eye-opening pizzazz). 

▪ Berry smoothie. Blend 1 cup of low-fat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup berries, 1/2 cup of 100 percent apple juice, and 1/2 cup of crushed ice until smooth.

▪ Greek yogurt & jam. Mix 1/2 cup of low-fat Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon of 100 percent fruit spread or jam of your choice. 

▪ Energy pita. Top 1/2 whole-grain pita with Neufchatel (light cream) cheese, 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts and 2 tablespoons of dried fruit.

Beet Pasta Ravioli with Goat Cheese, Hazelnuts, and Chives from The Italian Dish

Kalyn Denny — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Just in case you might possibly forget Valentine's Day is coming, food blogs are filled with tempting pink foods these days as a reminder. Of course there are pink cookies, cakes, and cupcakes, but I was more intrigued by the beautifully pink Beet Pasta Ravioli with Goat Cheese, Hazelnuts, and Chives I spotted at The Italian Dish. What a perfect Valentine's Day recipe, and also perfect for Meatless Monday as well.

Photo of Beet Pasta Ravioli from The Italian Dish

Get the recipe for Beet Pasta Ravioli with Goat Cheese, Hazelnuts, and Chives from The Italian Dish.

Have you made something interesting for Meatless Monday this week? If so, please share the recipe link or your recipe in the comments. You can find more Meatless Monday recipes by clicking the tag Meatless Mondays.

BlogHer Contributing Editor Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she specializes in low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn probably won't ever be a vegetarian, but she does love to make meatless dishes like Spaghetti Marco Polo.

Low-sugar, Vegan, Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

lakeschooling — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:01:53 +0000

I am constantly on a quest for low sugar treats. My purpose is partly to fool myself into thinking that I am eating something healthy (they ARE healthier than a processed or full-sugar/butter-laden treat, but they are STILL treats) and partly to train all of our taste buds into appreciating foods with less or no sugar (it has worked on my daughters; my son cannot be fooled—he will eat and enjoy foods like this, but then request something more nutritionally volatile—like all those foods we don't keep in the house but that everyone—bank tellers, grocery clerks, little old ladies—seems to offer him once they have taken even the slightest gander at those precious dimples of his).

So yesterday I made what I like to call scookies, part scone/part cookie, though my taste-testers said they were more like sconkies, more scone and less cookie. While I agree with their assessment, sconkie sounds a bit like a circa 1985 Valley Girl word that one would use to judge someone harshly: "Oh! My! God! He is such a sconkie!" or "Did you see what that sconkie in the neon green parachute pants just did? Gross."

Therefore, I am sticking with scookies.

Vegan, Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Scookies

2-3 dozen, depending upon size

Ingredients:

12 dates (without pits)

2 T. ground flax seeds

1 c. water

1/4 c. almond butter*

1.5 c. brown rice flour

1 c. oats

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1/2 raisins

1 c. chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life because they are vegan and MSG-free)

Preheat oven to 325. Either lightly grease (with coconut oil or some other vegan substitute) or line (with a silpat liner or parchment paper) a cookie sheet. In a blender macerate dates, flax, and water. Pour into a mixing bowl. Add almond butter and stir. In another bowl, add flour, oats cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Add raisins and chocolate chips and lightly combine. Drop onto cookie sheet. You might wish to flatten slightly with your hand or a spatula. Bake 12-14 minutes.

Enjoy.

* If you have a tree-nut allergy, you can either omit the almond butter and add just a little less flour or replace with coconut oil, peanut butter, or sunflower butter

I write. I knit. I create vegan, gluten-free food. I homeschool my three children, two of whom joined our family through adoption from Haiti. I blog at Adventures in Lakeschooling

Are You Spending More Than You Think on Blogging?

Melissa Ford — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:30:56 +0000

It's tax season and your mind is probably on how much you've earned and how much you owe from your blogging endeavours, but have you ever taken a moment to work out how much you spend in order to write? Book bloggers have to purchase books, entertainment bloggers take themselves to the movies, and food bloggers are constantly purchasing ingredients and equipment.

One blogger did just that -- worked out exactly how much she spent both timewise and moneywise over the last year.

Bakers Royale wrote a great post in January reflecting on her last year, breaking down the cost of writing a food blog. She discovered that she spent nearly double the amount of time baking as she did writing, something to factor into blogging time. (In other words, if it takes you a week to read a book and then an hour to write a book review post, you spent a week and an hour on that one post.) Tools and ingredients came to much less than the food props for photos. And even blog maintenance was added to the grand total of nearly $12,000.

If you're gasping right now, think through any one of your hobbies or businesses and add up how much you spend. You may find that it adds up to more than you think.

She returned last week with part two of that original cost of blogging post. If that price tag of $12,000 scared you away from blogging, she writes,

My intention was not to turn you off from starting a blog. Can I hook you back into wanting write a blog with ideas and ways that you can monetize your blog? Make money doing what you love – I sound like an infomercial, right? Well it’s true you can and I do. Did I start out with that intention? No, I did not. But as hard work would have it I am fortunate to make some supplemental income off of doing what I love.

She goes through using ads to balance out the cost of blogging, purchasing items off of ebay or craigslist to keep costs down, and re-using items she purchased for blogging sake in her regular kitchen.

How much does your blog cost -- timewise and moneywise -- and is it more or less than you thought before you started adding things up?

Photo Credit: Computers and Money via Shutterstock.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens and Lost and Found. Her novel about blogging is Life from Scratch.

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

singerskitchen — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:33:02 +0000

February is upon us and I started thinking of yummy recipes I could make and just decided I should just start making some.

Ryan and I are coffee drinkers. Besides having coffee with breakfast, I usually like it in the evenings with some kind of crunchy sweet item. I found myself surprised when I realized that one of my favorite crunchy cookies happen to be biscotti.

When I go to coffee shops I usually choose a biscotti, especially if they are chocolate and EVEN more when they are chocolate-covered too! Ryan is not big on biscotti because he thinks they are too dry but I made these and he really enjoyed them. I just think he is starting to take his time with realizing how great of a treat biscotti can be especially when accompanied with coffee.

Make your honey some biscotti for Valentine's Day. Add some chocolate chips to this batter or melt some chocolate, dip or drizzle each biscotti or simply sprinkle some powdered sugar.

These are SUPER simple to make and fun because they start looking like lumps of dough but then end up looking like gourmet cookies, ready to dip into a hot drink.

Forget about all the negative comments biscotti can get and make them this week!

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

by Noelle Kelly (original recipe from skinnytaste.com)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Keywords: bake breakfast snack dessert brunch vegan pistachios cookie

Ingredients (28 biscotti)

1-2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened good quality cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 cup whole pistachios
2 oz Earth Balance (1/4 cup), softened
3/4 cup superfine sugar
2 flax seed "eggs" or 2 large eggs
--to prepare flax seed "eggs": 2 Tbsp flax seed meal + 6 Tbsp water--set aside for 3 minutes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add pistachios, and mix.

In a mixer, mix margarine and sugar on medium speed for 1-1/2 minutes. Add flax "eggs" or eggs, one at a time.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined to make a dough.

Remove the dough and using your hands, divide the dough into two or three pieces and form into long flat shapes about 8 long x 1-1/2 inches wide. Place on the lined baking sheets and bake 20 minutes.

When cool enough to handle, gently cut the loaves on the angle into 1/2 inch slices (a serrated bread knife works best). Return to the baking sheet fitting as many as you can on the baking sheet, you may need to do this in batches. Bake the biscotti for another 3-4 minutes on each side, less if you like it softer. Makes about 28.

Best Picture Dinners: Midnight in Paris

Genie Gratto — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:00:36 +0000

Over the past ten years, I've felt very mixed about Woody Allen's films. When he's on, these days, he's really on—his movies are funny and human and delightful. But when he's off, his films feel self-indulgent and flat. Luckily for moviegoers in this Oscar cycle, with Midnight in Paris, Allen was totally on, creating a lovely, frothy fantasy where love and struggling writers win in the end. It deserves a Parisian feast in celebration.

We'll start our meal with a dish that raises hackles with some folks, but which I'll fully admit to loving: perfectly seared foie gras. Give this Foie Gras Poele with Granny Smith Apples from Jacqueline Pham of Pham Fatale a try—it's a simple preparation that sets lovely acid flavors against the rich goose liver.

For a cocktail, I wanted something that evoked the feel of the movie without necessarily being 100 percent Parisian. I decided the perfect choice is The French 75, which marries champagne (or sparkling wine if you don't have the French variety on hand) with gin, simple syrup and lemon juice in a refreshing-yet-tart cocktail. Drink too many close to midnight and you might, indeed, have trouble finding your way back to your hotel.

Our main course will be Duck a l'Orange with Pomegranate and Persimmon from Eva of Adventures in Cooking. It's a classic dish made modern with the addition of beautiful winter fruits. Serve a rustic melange of onions and turnips that have been tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted for about 45 minutes in a 425-degree oven, and arugula tossed with this perfect vinaigrette from Katie of Mom's Kitchen Handbook.

We'll want to finish this dinner with true French flair, so I'd recommend assembling a cheese platter. But if you can't bear to bid this meal adieu without a sweet little bite, then this classic creme brulee from Grace of La Mia Vita Dolce will do the trick.

What foods did Midnight in Paris evoke for you? Share your movie-inspired thoughts in the comments below.

Genie blogs about gardening and food at The Inadvertent Gardener, and tells very short tales at 100 Proof Stories. She is also the Food Section Editor for BlogHer.

Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Nutella Banoffee Cream Pie

DessertByCandy — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:26:34 +0000

When it comes to Nutella-inspired dessert, restraint is the last thing on my mind. My contribution to last year’s Nutella Day was fun and whimsical in the form of icebox cake and buckeyes. This year, I want a rich and totally over-the-top cream pie. I took inspiration from the ever popular Nutella and banana crepe. Add in a bit of British influence from banoffee pie, my Nutella Banoffee Cream Pie is born.

My Nutella Banoffee Cream Pie starts with a buttery pie crust with a hint of crunchy graham cracker crumbs. It is filled with a thick layer of Nutella and a smooth layer of caramel banana cream cheese filling. It is crowned with billowy Chantilly cream and studded with banana slices and hazelnuts. The sweetness of Nutella is offset by the mildly tangy cream cheese. At the same time, the complex caramel undertone highlights a taste more sophisticated than plain sugary sweetness. I especially love the change in texture from crunchy to sticky to creamy to airy. This dessert is not for the faint of heart.

The drawback of creating a dessert with so many different taste and textural contrast is that there’s lots of individual components to prepare. I miss the simplicity of my recipes from last year. But at the same time, the final result is a show-stopping dessert. You have to agree that there is a time and place for show-stoppers, right?

As silly as it sounds, I found it awfully satisfying to scoop out large spoonfuls of Nutella from the family-size jar that I bought from Costco, in package of two. Nutella is such a decadent treat that my normal choice of utensil is a tiny espresso spoon for the smallest taste. When I was making this pie, I almost feel guilty for every sticky dollop that I transferred from jar to pie crust. Obviously I have lots of Nutella leftover from this little project. I think I’ll have to check out everyone’s creation so I can put those leftover to good use.

(Get the recipe from Dessert By Candy)

BlogHer Topic - Food - Editor's Picks

A Red Velvet Cake for Valentine's Day

Heritage Red Velvet Cake

Read more from Heritage Red Velvet Cake at Sprinkle Bakes

Kitchen Craft: Croutons (Plus a Caesar Salad Recipe)

Chocolate Blueberry Dahlia Cake

Black Dahlia Cake

Nutrition Week 7: Breakfast

Beet Pasta Ravioli with Goat Cheese, Hazelnuts, and Chives from The Italian Dish

Low-sugar, Vegan, Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Are You Spending More Than You Think on Blogging?

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Best Picture Dinners: Midnight in Paris

Nutella Banoffee Cream Pie