A Little Nutella Filled Cookie Pie

A cookie, that's a pie, that fits in your hand and is filled with Nutella?

Now, that's dangerous.

This is my newest offering for this year's World Nutella Day that happens every year on February 5th. Recipe lovers all over the world share a favorite idea using Nutella and contribute to my growing collection (and waist line.)

This itty-bitty pie is so simple to make and the cookie crumble on the top is the same as the pie shell, so no extra time is needed there either. If you prefer, you can make these bigger for a perfect individual dessert or keep them mini for the perfect lunch pack surprise or party pleaser.The crust is a sugar cookie recipe that is my GO-TO because it's easy, but also makes a great blank slate to add your own flavor ideas or topping creations.

See more Nutella recipe ideas at World Nutella Day (created by MisAdventuresInItaly.com and BleedingEspresso.com.)


Recipe: Nutella Filled Cookie Pies

Sugar Cookie Crust and Crumble~

3 cups AP Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
8 ounces Butter (room temperature)
1 cup Sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons Vanilla
*optional - finely chopped candied orange peel

1) In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter.

2) Add the egg and vanilla, beat until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes.

3) Mix together the Flour, baking powder and salt, then add this to the butter batter. (If using candied orange peel, add now.)

4) When mixed well, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for about 20 minutes (up to overnight.)
Nutella Filled Cookie Pies:

1) Roll out cookie dough to about 1/4 inch. Cut into circles a little bigger than the opening in your mini muffin pan. Gently press the cutouts into the muffin tin to form a crust. Save the leftover pieces of cookie dough for the crumble on top.*You can also pinch off pieces of the dough and roll into balls about 1 inch in diameter to press into the muffin tins to make a crust.2) Gather up the dough scraps and roll them in your fingers to use as crumble. The pieces should be about the size of peas or smaller.3) Drop about a teaspoon of Nutella into each cookie pie shell, top with cookie dough crumble (you can also add a few grains of Sea Salt.)4) Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 8-10 minutes. Don't over cook because the Nutella will get too firm. Allow to cool for a few moments and then carefully remove cookie pies to cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. These held well in an air tight container for a few days.

Happy World Nutella Day and every day~

A Basic Quiche Recipe Can Save The Day

Sometimes, in my cooking and looking for unique food ideas, I forget about the classics. Quiche is one of those classics. Knowing how to make a great quiche means you have a Go-To recipe for a great all-in-one breakfast, Lunch, Snack or Light Dinner.

This week I'm spending time out of town, in a rented condo with my sister-in-law while she heals and recovers from surgery. My mother-in-law has been here for a few days already, taking care of her daughter and cooking all the meals. The surgery went great, we're all feeling positive and honestly a little time to sit, chat and laugh with some of the people we love in life is a good thing. Cooking when you're away from home is a challenge, though. It's not your kitchen, you try not to spend too much money or buy things you can't use completely, and learning new equipment can be frustrating.

When I arrived, after a tiring day of winter airplane travel, I was so hungry. This plate of savory custard pie with chucks of honey ham, sauteed onions and cheese, warmed up til the home-made pastry returned to a flaky melt-in-your-mouth finish was exactly what I needed. Outside the windows of the upstairs condo were dripping in windy cold rain while I sat in warmth, savoring every fork of this thick french style quiche and catching up with stories of the past few days.
My mother-in-law had not planned this meal. She said she opened the refrigerator, thought how much she didn't want to go out in the rain for lunch and tried to come up with something that used whatever she already had there. Knowing the basics for making a good quiche were so handy.

I didn't plan on writing a post while I was here, but I thought this was worth sharing. There are a few everyday recipe basics that can really pay off; Quiche is one of them.

Recipe: Basic Quiche-

8 ounces Egg (4 eggs)
16 ounces Heavy Cream or Half-and-Half
8 ounces cheese
4 ounces ham, bacon, or vegetables (chopped)
1/2 onion chopped (raw or sauteed)
Pinch of ground red pepper or paprika
salt/pepper to taste
Pre-Baked 8-9 inch Pie Shell

1) In a bowl, beat the eggs and cream together. Add the seasonings (red pepper, salt, pepper)
2) In a pre-baked pie shell, spread the cheese, onions and chopped meat or vegetables.
3) Pour over the egg/cream mixture and bake in a 325F oven for about 45-50 minutes just til the eggs are set.

Let the Quiche set for a few minutes, then slice and serve warm, or chill for later to serve cold, room temperature or reheated.

Wishing you good food, good family times and good news.

Sweet Potato Tea Bars and High Tea at Montage Hotel, Los Angeles

Almost every culture in the world has a tradition or relationship to TEA. So many people have stories about family gatherings, or moments with special people spent over a cup (or glass) of tea.

I grew up in the southern part of the United States and my relationship to tea was a tall glass of "sweetened ice tea". In fact, where I grew up you would have to ask the server if you wanted tea that was not brewed with a lot of sugar in it already. A cup of hot tea was usually made by the cup with a string attached bag of Lipton. It would be left in the cup too long which meant more Teddy Bear honey was needed.

Sweet Potato Tea Bars

If I went to a friend's house where they poured a cup of tea from a pot, with fresh tea leaves inside I assumed they were rich or from England.
I was in college before I was introduced to the whole "going to tea" or "taking tea" or "having High Tea" delightful pleasure. Since then, I seek out places that serve a great Tea.

For a couple years, I worked with a stylish Tea Salon in Los Angeles where I had the chance to learn about tea and developed many recipes that used tea as an ingredient or infused with the flavors. Our specialty was World Teas. We broke the mold of just the proper English Tea by creating recipes inspired by different countries and their flavors.

If you read my blog often, you know there are several recipes using tea to enhance the flavor base (ie. Cowboy Smokey Tea Tomato Jam, Tea Poached Shrimp Summer Rolls, Stove Top Smoked Fish, Green Tea Croquembouche, Matcha Green Tea Doughnuts. )

If I could pass on just 3 important ideas about tea it would be these:

1) Using real tea, not old flakes in a stringed bag, makes all the difference in the world.
2) Water temperature can make or break the flavor and the true taste of the tea.
3) Don't over brew - it's the same thing as burning food and that's why it taste bad.

When I have visitors to California, or visit a friend's city I almost always suggest going to a tea in the area. There is something very replenishing about sharing a plate of scones, a couple mini-sandwiches and tiny desserts while chatting over warm and fragrant tea pots.This month, my online Lets Lunch Bunch has the theme of High Tea for us to share across the miles in our virtual lunch date. When my daughter and a friend from Italy were here, we took the opportunity to seek inspiration by having tea at the exquisite Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. The room was quiet (until we started giggling and sharing stories) and the food was delicate, but plentiful. In case you are thinking this is just a "Ladies" tradition, there were more men in the room than ladies the day we were visiting. There were several obvious business meetings going on around the room, a family stopping for a breather during their busy day, and a couple who sounded like they were on a first date (not that I was listening.)When I returned home and pondered how I could combine the proper tea fare I had partaken in during the afternoon, yet give a nod to my much more casual background. I came up with Sweet Potato Tea Bars.Sweet Potatoes, packed with good healthy nutrients, make a good combo to the antioxidants in tea. The creaminess goes so well with a hearty smokey black, yet the earthiness pairs well with a grassy green tea. Also, they're just damn good.Tea is one of earth's most natural healing liquids. I recommend drinking more of it. Do it slowly. Do it often. Do it with people you love.

Also: Check out all of the inspired High Tea ideas with the Lets Lunch pals:

Charissa‘s Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches with Honey Mustard, Tomatoes & Basil at Zest Bakery

Emma‘s Brown Sugar Shortbreads With Hawaiian Jam at Dreaming of Pots and Pans

Grace‘s Taiwanese Sandwiches at HapaMama

Karen‘s Saskatoon Berry Tartlets at GeoFooding

Linda‘s Mesquite Hemp Cocoa at Free Range Cookies

Linda‘s Singapore-Style Ginger Tea & Kaya (Coconut Jam) Toast at Spicebox Travels

Lisa‘s Little Lemon Meringue Tarts at Monday Morning Cooking Club

Mai‘s Cougar Gold & Shallot Shortbread at Cooking in The Fruit Bowl

Patrick‘s Welsh Rarebit at Patrick G. Lee

Rashda‘s Spiced Chickpea & Sweet Potato Tidbits at Hot Curries & Cold Beer

Rebecca‘s Millionaire’s Shortbread at Grongar Blog

Steff‘s Lemon-Lime Shortbread Cookies at The Kitchen Trials

Join us next time, have lunch with us online. Go to twitter and put in the hashtag (#letslunch) and leave us word you'd like to join. We're growing with every lunch. :D

Recipe: Sweet Potato Tea Bars

Crust-
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks butter (6oz.)
2/3 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla

1) Mix the crust ingredients in a large bowl. Press the crumbly crust into a parchment lined 9" pan.
2) Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then pour in the filling.

FILLING:

1 Large Sweet Potato (baked)
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 lemon juice and zest
1/4 cup milk

1) Beat all ingredients until creamy.
2) Pour into the pre-baked crust. Return to a preheated 350F oven. Bake for about 20 Minutes (until set.)
3) Cool and chill for 20 minutes before cutting into bars.
4) Garnish with chopped nuts or powdered sugar.

Peanut Butter Crack Pie - with a purpose~

There are moments I wish I could freeze:

Years ago, when they announced my husband and I, we ran into the Wedding Reception together holding hands, heads tossed back laughing and dancing with joy that we were now married without a care in the world (haha.)

Peanut Butter Crack Pie

When my kids were first born those early morning feedings were so quiet. The sun would just be peeking through the blinds and the only sound was the murmuring hum of a happy fed baby (sigh.)

When the whole family gets together now (the kids are all teens or older) at some point there will be a cacophony of laughter (often at my expense). The entire house is filled with a fugue of snorts, howls and giggles. I love when the napkins of our meal end up being the same ones to wipe away rolling tears of laughter. Those times are etched in my heart. I don't take them for granted, yet a reminder to close my eyes and whisper a giant Thank You came this week.
The best thing about the whole "virtual world" of twitter and face book, blogging and vlogging is the community it builds. To some this may sound weird, that a sense of friendship and support could come from what appears to be just a "time sucking device" or a pretend world of gimmicky names and facades.Like in real life, I'm sure there are equal amounts of truth and lies in the virtual world, too. However, one of the reasons I keep food blogging, and connecting online is about the sincere community that I have experienced.

I read a twitter this past weekend, by the talented writer/recipe developer and mom, Jennifer Perillo that simply said, "He's gone. And my heart is shattered in a million pieces." It stopped me in my tracks. It was so full, so simply painful. Only a day earlier she had quipped about making marinara sauce and planning for a family vacation.

As the story evolved, I learned that her husband had died - suddenly from a heart attack. Jennifer touched base online in the next few days with her thoughts and on her blog (In Jennie's Kitchen) with her story of love and pain. In the midst of her own challenges of coping with loss and her two young daughters, she drew the online community to her table. She fed us with inspiration and example. She led many of us to take a moment to think of those we care about, to reflect on those times we wish we could freeze (because we can't), and to be thankful. Jennie's request was to honor the people you care about, and in symbolic memory of her husband (Mikey), make his favorite pie (Peanut Butter Pie) and share it with someone else. It might seem like a silly thing to some, but for people who love feeding others it is a communal gesture of support.My husband's birthday was recently and his favorite pie is my Nutella Crack Pie. It's a sweet dense pie that definitely must be shared to avoid eating too much on your own. My sweetheart is a cut-up and a comedy writer so he doesn't miss a chance to make us laugh. He came downstairs dressed in stage clothes and clowning around. This time the laughing-out-loud started even earlier. We always finish our birthday celebrations by singing and clapping to~ "skip around the room, skip around the room, we won't shut-up 'til you skip around the room." And we will NOT shut up 'til the birthday person skips around the room (even in a restaurant).


My way of serving up a tribute to Jennie's strength, Mikey's memory and a wish for happiness and peace to her daughters was to combine the request for a Peanut Butter Pie with my husband's favorite pie. I developed the Peanut Butter Crack Pie. I don't remember ever preparing anything with as much purpose, sense of time and reason, and held-back tears as I did with this pie. A simple request to make a pie from a talented woman struggling with personal loss turned into many many people taking pause to be grateful. That is powerful. That is real. That is truth. Hug, feed, write, call or remember someone you love today. I can't freeze the moments, but I can treasure the memories in my heart.

RECIPE: Peanut Butter Crack Pie

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Crust:

2/3 cup Flour
3 Tbls. Cocoa
1/8 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup oats
1 stick softened butter (4 oz.)
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tbls. sugar
1 large egg

1) In a bowl, sift in the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2) In a mixing bowl beat butter til creamy, add sugars and continue to beat til fluffy.

3) Add egg and beat until well incorporated.

4) Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter just until mixed well. Then, stir in oats.

5) Spread onto a silpat covered baking sheet (or parchment lined) and bake in a preheated 375F oven for 12-18 minutes (until firm). Let cool, then crumble well for the crust.

Crust:
1/2 - 2/3 stick butter softened (2-3oz)
1 1/2 Tbls. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

1) In a bowl combine the cookie crumbs with the butter, sugar and salt well. Work in with your fingertips (until it will clump when you squeeze it.)

2) Press the crust into a pie shell or tart pan (about 6x12, or 9inch round). Press down well (the bottom of a cup can help to press the shell firmly.) Hold while you prepare the filling.

Peanut Butter Crack Filling:

1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 3 Tbls. brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup Nonfat Dry Milk
2 Tbls. butter
1 cup Organic Smooth Peanut Butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
8 egg yolks
*powdered sugar and cocoa mixed for garnish*

1) Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugars, dry milk and salt.
2) Whisk in Peanut Butter, butter, cream and vanilla on low speed.
3) Whisk in egg yolks on low speed until combined well. It will be very loose.
4) Pour into the pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325F and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes until the center is not so liquid. It may still have a bit of jiggle.
5) Cool and refrigerate.

** The chilling part is crucial to this pie turning out well and it is best served cold**

This is a very dense, thick pie and the original Crack Pie was eaten by many with spoons right out of the pan. :D

Enjoy with friends, family and strangers. Let me take this moment to say Thank You for stopping by. Sending you love :D