Cinnamon Sugar Nutella Puffs

When I was in Portland, I visited the sensational bakery - BakeShop - and had something that nearly brought tears of joy to my eyes.  It was called a Nutella Puff, and it was perfection.  In my fantasy world, I eat one (read: three) for breakfast every morning.  

After taking that final, rapturous bite, I knew that through some form of kitchen magic, I would have to recreate what was truly one of the best pastries my lips had ever met. 

My fiance claims that he cannot strictly articulate the precise moment when he first realized he loved me, but I firmly believe that it was the first time he tasted one of my cinnamon rolls.

The man loves cinnamon rolls, and I love baking for such a handsome and grateful patron, but the frequency of his requests often exceeds even my enthusiasm.  

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That is when I have to change things up a bit, in order to feed my restless creativity and his insatiable sweet tooth. 

With those Oregonian Nutella puffs on my mind, and an unrelenting man at my side, our cravings materialized.  

Sweet, chewy dough, lightly spiced, generously buttered, studded with nuts, cut and twisted, and filled with a lavish spoonful of that ever-beguiling substance known as Nutella. 

These rolls-turned-chocolate-nests are nestled into a buttered muffin tin and brushed with melted butter. 

Then they get a facelift, by way of a warm oven.  This final proofing period will make them extra airy.   

After proofing, the puffs bake for a rapid twelve minutes, giving you just enough time to make a piping pot of strong coffee. 

After the puffs have baked to golden brown, they are brushed with - you guessed it, another coat of melted butter. 

These puffs are not overly sweet.  They are airy and light, soft and buttery - the perfect breakfast.  

It's almost as good as being back in Portland again. 

I think everything should have Nutella-filled centers.

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Cinnamon Sugar Nutella Puffs

makes 9 puffs / dough recipe adapted slightly from Alton Brown  

for the dough

- 8 ounces warm milk 

- 1/3 cup granulated sugar 

- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 

- 15 ounces all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)

- 2 egg yolks

- 1 teaspoon kosher salt

- 2 ounces unsalted butter (room temperature)

for the filling

- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (divided use)

- 1/4 cup granulated sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

 - 1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (divided use) 

- 9 tablespoons Nutella

- confectioner’s sugar, optional

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine milk, sugar, yeast, egg yolks, flour, and salt.  Use the paddle attachment and combine on low speed for 1 minute.  Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes. 

Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and add butter.  Mix on medium speed for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side.  

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and form a large, taught ball.  Place in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. 

While the dough is rising, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Grease a muffin tin with melted butter. 

After the dough has doubled in size, remove from bowl and roll out onto a floured surface into a 15x12 inch rectangle.  Brush with a thin layer of softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and 2 tablespoons of chopped hazelnuts.  Pat the spices gently to press them into the dough.  

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  

Roll the dough towards you, tucking so that the roll is tight.  Cut the roll into 9 equal slices.  Roll each roll into a 6-inch rope and twist.  Pinch the two ends of the twisted rope to form a nest.  Place each nest into a greased muffin cup and place a spoonful of Nutella into the centers.  Sprinkle with the remaining chopped hazelnuts.  Place the muffin tin in the oven and turn off the heat.  Leave the door half-way ajar.  Allow to dough to proof for 40 minutes.

Remove the muffin tin from the warm oven and set the oven to 400 degrees.  

Bake the puffs for 12 minutes, or until deep golden brown.  Allow to cool for 8-10 minutes before dusting with confectioner’s sugar and serving.  Enjoy! 

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Stuffed Crepes with Pistachios and Orange & Cardamom Caramel Sauce

At the moment, I am not sitting at a table staring over a bouquet of flowers while admiring the wintry morning's crisp glow, before delicately sticking my fork into one of these lovely crepes.  I am not doing any of that.  I am lying in bed at 11:31 eating cereal by the handful and trying very, very hard to not think about makeup, or shoes, or fabric mishaps, or any of the other numerous wedding details that have been filling - correction, plaguing, my mind over the past 24 hours.

These crepes are currently the stuff of my dreams.  Simple crepes, filled with whipped, lightly sweetened, cream cheese and covered with warm caramel, orange segments, and pistachios, and served with hot coffee on a cozy, relaxing morning.  

When I was a pretentious nine-year-old lady I did not want Toasted Strudels for my sleepovers.  I wanted my mother to make crepes -- something most American nine-year-olds are not exactly well acquainted with.  But ignoring my peers' criticism, I begged her to make them nonetheless, and I never noticed whether or not they enjoyed them because I was far too busy covering my own plate in confectioner's sugar. 

These crepes are not the crepes of my childhood.  The foundation is the same of course, but the accoutrements have changed a bit (though by no means am I above a classic Nutella and banana situation). 

I love the simplicity of crepes.  Milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla are whisked into a simple mixture of flour, sugar, and salt and are left to rest while the pan is prepared with a coating of warm butter. 

At this point, the fragrance of orange peel, burnt sugar, and spicy cardamom fill the kitchen as the caramel sauce bubbles away on the back burner.  

The first crepe is flipped and discarded.  Any good crepe flipper knows that the first one never turns out.   

After the pile of delicate pancakes is safely stowed away in the warmth of the oven, oranges are carefully segmented to create beautiful surpremes.  Breakfast is the time for frills. 

The crepes are piped with the creamy filling and folded into sophiscated squares before being adorned. 

Caramel is drizzled, oranges are arranged, and pistachios are sprinkled.  

Breakfast is served. 

Here's to making these mornings more than just a fond dream. 

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

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Stuffed Crepes with Pistachios and Orange & Cardamom Caramel Sauce

makes 6

This recipe can actually make 7-8 crepes, but the first crepe never turns out.  Having a flop is just part of the process.

for the caramel

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 10 cardamom pods
• 3 strips orange peel (cut with a vegetable peeler)
• 2 tablespoons water 
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 

Use the side of a heavy knife to smash the cardamom pods, breaking them open slightly.

Combine cardamom pods, orange zest, and brown sugar in a small bowl and use the tines of a fork to press the zest into the sugar, thus releasing its oils.  

In a small saucepan combine brown sugar mixer, water, and butter.  Place over medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter has melted. 

Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the caramel is deep golden and fragrant.  Remove from heat and quickly stir in heavy cream.  Be careful here as the sugar tends to splatter.  

Strain through a fine mess strainer and allow to cool until the caramel has thickened slightly.  

Refrigerate if not using immediately.  When ready to serve, heat the caramel in the microwave at thirty second increments until warm.  

for the filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Place cream cheese in a medium bowl and use an electric mixer to beat on medium speed; until fluffy.  Slowly beat in confectioner’s sugar and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  

Transfer the filling to a piping bag and refrigerate until ready to use.

If you choose to make the filling far in advance, remove the filling from the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before using.  This will allow it to soften a bit, making it much easier to pipe.

for the crepes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• pinch of fine salt
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, but not hot
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional 
• 2 naval oranges
• 1/4 cup roasted, unsalted pistachios 

In a medium bowl, sift to combine flour, sugar, and salt.  Set aside.  

In a large measuring cup, whisk eggs several times to break up the yolks and whites.  Whisk in milk, vanilla extract and melted butter. 

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Allow to sit for five minutes before using.  While the batter is resting, prepare a nonstick skillet, or crepe pan, by coating it with butter and placing over medium high heat.  

Pour a very small amount (about 1/8 cup) of batter into the center of the pan and quickly swirl the pan to distribute the batter, forming a very thin, round pancake.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and the batter has set, then flip the crepe and cook for an additional minute. 

Place the crepes in a warm oven until ready to fill and serve.  

Use a sharp knife to cut away the skin and pith of the orange, leaving only the flesh.  Then, while holding the orange in one hand, make cuts into each segment of the orange to release the wedges.  You should be left with a pithless orange wedge. 

To serve the crepes, pipe a 2x2-inch square of cream cheese filling in the center of each crepe and fold the edges inward, forming a rectangle.  Then, take the top and bottom halves of the crepe and fold them over on each other, encasing the cream cheese and forming a square.  Drizzle with warm caramel and top with pistachios and orange segments.  Enjoy!

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{The 1st Meal} Orange Glazed Bundt with Dark Chocolate & Pecans

Good morning.!  Are you still deep in the gravy hangover?  Or are you, like me, too busy fawning over your pile of Black Friday treasures?  I thought so.  Do not worry, you definitely needed two more sweaters - they were on sale and you look so good in them!  Oops.  Fell into the Friday game again.

Remember how we made these Cinnamon Sugar Cheese Buns last week?  Yeah, they were really good.  Hey, that was pretty sneaky, eating all the cream cheese centers and leaving the outer crust.  I bet you pulled all the marshmallows out of the cereal box as a kid too.  Heehee, I like you.  Let’s be friends.

Do you also remember my promise to bring you yet another scrumptious application for that bundt dough you wisely stowed away in the freezer?  I made good on this promise, unlike the promise I made to myself to back off the carbs.  I’ll get to it.  I still have a few weeks before wedding dress shopping, right?  Meh.  That’s depressing.  I’m going to eat some more bread to ease my guilt.  Don’t be like me.  But make this bread.  Yes, do that.

If you cannot tell, I binged watched some Great British Bakeoff and now I’m making fancy breads. 

Making this bread was a euphoric experience.  It was as if a warm, candlelit, old English kind of glow swept over my kitchen and I pretended that I was Mrs. Cratchit making the sweet, cherished Christmas bread for her adoring family.  There’s just something about this bread that sings of the holidays.

Baking bread feels so good.  It’s rudimentary, yet so momentous when baked at home.  It makes the kitchen feel cozy in a way that salads simply cannot.

For this recipe, our bundt dough is coated with melted butter, then sprinkled generously with orange sugar, chopped dark chocolate, and pecans.  The combination is unsurpassable - the perfect treat for these cold, wintry mornings.

After the filling has been pressed into the dough, the dough is rolled and shaped into a loop - forming lovely swirls of chocolatey orange filling throughout the bundt.  

While the bundt is still warm, it is brushed with a syrupy orange glaze that makes the outer crust sweet and sticky. 

This is one time where you can politely lick your fingers without shame.

Brew a pot of coffee and cut yourself a slice (or two).  Breakfast is served.

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Glazed Orange Bundt with Chocolate and Pecans

*This dough recipe will make two bundts if you use the entire batch of dough, or 1 bundt when divided.  If you wish to make the full recipe, rather than freezing a portion of the dough, double the recipe for the orange chocolate filling.

for the bundt dough  

• 1/2 cup warm water (about 95 degrees F)
• 3 packages active dry yeast (3 scant tablespoons) 
• 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 3/4 unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 3 large eggs 
• 6 cups bread flour 
• 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine all ingredients and mix on low speed, using the paddle attachment, until just combined.  Then, change to a dough hook and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, until smooth, shiny, and elastic.  The dough will look rather loose, but resist the urge to add more flour.

Coat a large bowl with butter and place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in volume, about one hour.  

When the dough has doubled, turn it out unto a floured surface, punching down the dough to release some of the air.

This is where you have to make your decision. 

If dividing and freezing, cut the dough into two equal pieces and fold each portion into a rectangle by folding the ends in towards the center.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes before wrapping tightly in plastic wrap.  The dough can be frozen for up to one week.  

If using immediately, shape each portion into a rectangle and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.  While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. 

for the filling

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 
• 1 medium naval orange, zested
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• egg wash (1 egg and 1 teaspoon water whisked together)

In a small bowl, combine sugar and orange zest.  Use the tines of a fork to press the zest into the sugar. 

Roll the dough into a 12x8 rectangle and brush with melted butter.  Rub the sugar over the dough and then sprinkle with pecans and chocolate.  

Roll the dough lengthwise, tucking the dough under itself to form a tight roll.  Squeeze the dough gently to extend the roll.  You should be left with an 18-inch roll of dough.  Form a loop by tucking one end into the other and pinch to seal the ends together.

Grease a bundt pan liberally with butter.  Place the loop into the bundt pan and use kitchen scissors to snip eight small slits into the top of the bundt.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

When the dough has finished rising, brush with egg wash and place in the oven.  Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the dough is deep golden and sounds hollow when tapped.  

While the bundt is baking, prepare the glaze. 

for the glaze

• juice of 1 naval orange 
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 4 whole cloves

In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, sugar, and cloves.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often.  Cook for 10 minutes, until a thick syrup has formed.  Strain to remove cloves.  

Remove the bundt from the oven and brush with orange glaze.   Glaze until the dough no longer absorbs the syrup - you may not use all of the glaze.  Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before removing from the pan.  Serve immediately or wrap in plastic and store for several days. Enjoy!