Two-Layer Raspberry, Nutella and Hazelnuts Semifreddo

This refreshing semi-frozen dessert combines a creamy Nutella and crunchy hazelnuts layer, 

 topped with a tangy raspberry layer, 

all covered with a drizzle of hot chocolate and a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts.

Last minute Mother's Day gift idea, right from your kitchen!

Happy Mother's Day! I hope you are enjoying a super special and love-filled weekend.

Here is an amazing dessert idea that will show your mom how special she is.
This heart-shaped semi-frozen dessert is simply delicious. One layer of rich and creamy Nutella and crunchy hazelnuts, topped with a chilled and tangy raspberry layer. And you can get creative with the decoration: drizzle this dessert with a little (... or a lot!) of hot chocolate, a spoonful of chopped hazelnuts. And why not, some fresh organic raspberries on the side!
And yes! As most of my other recipes, this is also quite easy to make, and you only need few ingredients that I'm sure you have in your kitchen right now. It just takes a bit of time for the layers to chill and set in the freezer. The good thing, you can prepare it ahead of time, and have it ready in the freezer for your special occasion. Trust me, all the waiting is well worth it!

Note: to make this semifreddo I used heart-shaped silicone molds, 3 inches wide, half cup capacity each. With the ingredients listed below, you end up with 12 small servings. You can also use regular, round cups to store the semifreddo in the freezer, and make bigger servings if you prefer.

Here are other ideas for a Mother's Day gift right from your kitchen.
Frozen meringue cups drizzled with hot chocolate

Or you can surprise your mom with other beautiful handmade edible bouquet of roses:
Apple roses:

I'm sure your mom will be so happy with any of these deliciously beautiful dessert.

Made with love :-)

Ingredients: to make 12 small (1/2 cup) heart-shaped cups

• 4 egg yolks, divided
• 2/3 cups (150 gr) sugar, divided, plus one tablespoon
• 12 fl oz (350 ml) of whipping cream, divided
• 6 oz (170 gr) organic raspberries
• 1/3 cup (100 gr) of Nutella, or other chocolate spread, plus some to drizzle on top for decoration
• 1/2 cup (2.5 oz, 70 gr) of chopped hazelnuts

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus at least 2 hours in the freezer
Directions:
1. Start by preparing the raspberry layer. Bring a pan of water to a boil. In heat-safe bowl, whisk together 2 egg yolks with 1/3 cup (75 gr) of sugar.

2.  When the water boils, turn the heat to medium-low, and place the bowl on top of  the pan. Whisk for about 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the simmering water, and let it cool off.

3. Puree the raspberries in a food processor, with one tablespoon of sugar,  and mix in the egg and sugar mixture.

4. Whip 6 oz (175 ml) of cream to soft peaks. Add to the bowl, and fold gently.

5. Spoon the mixture in silicone cups filling them halfway to the top. My cups are 1/2 cup in capacity. So I add a quarter of a cup to each, and used exactly 12 cups (filled halfway).
Place in the freezer for about 45-60 minutes until set.

6. For the nutella layer: in a heat-safe bowl, whisk together the two remaining egg yolks and 1/3 cup of sugar. Place the bowl over simmering water again, and whisk.

7. After 2 minutes, add the nutella and whisk for two more minutes.

8. Remove from the heat, add the chopped hazelnuts (save some to sprinkle on top at the end), and mix. Let it cool off.
9. Whip the remaining 6 oz of cream. Fold gently in the nutella mixture.

10. Spoon the mixture evenly in the 12 cups,which should now be filled completely. Place in the freezer again to set for at least one hour.

Serve with fresh raspberries on the side, melted chocolate (or nutella) on top, and a sprinkle of chopped hazelnut.

Oh-so delicious!

Homemade Italian Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Who knew that baking this super soft and amazingly delicious
Italian focaccia bread could be this easy?!?

This focaccia bread is simply delicious. Super soft and wholesome. It combines the fresh aroma of rosemary, and the pungent and fruity flavor of extra virgin olive oil. So simple, but yet so impressive.
I like to bake this bread for our family dinner, but also when I have guests, to serve with a variety of Italian appetizers. Next to some prosciutto or porchetta. With a mozzarella and juicy tomato caprese. Or a selection of olives and cheese.
And here is my secret. A very simple secret that will guarantee your guests begging for another dinner invitation: bake this focaccia right before everybody is supposed to arrive. Nothing compares to the mouth-watering smell of freshly baked bread. The inviting aroma of this focaccia will surely welcome your guests into your dining room, and make them run for their fork and plate.
Everybody will be impressed by your baking ability. But now, look at my recipe: quick and easy. No need for a bread-maker or any other expensive gadget. All you need is a spoon, your hands (... can't do without them!!) and a little bit of patience. All great things take time to bake.
The trick to amazingly soft bread is in the rising. The dough needs a warm and safe place to stay. I cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let it sit for about 3 hours in the oven. Turned off, obviously :-)
I am positive that you can do this. And I know that while you will be mixing, kneading and eating this focaccia you will be asking yourself why did you wait this long to try homemade bread. I know you will!

Ingredients: to make a 9 x 12 in focaccia bread

• 1 medium russet potato (mine was 6.5 oz, 185 gr)
• 2.5 cups (400 gr) of bread flour
• 1 package of active dry yeast (3/4 oz, 21 gr)
• 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 5 rosemary sprigs
• 2 teaspoons (12 gr) of salt
• 10 fl oz (300 ml) of water
• half teaspoon of coarse sea salt (I used lava black sea salt) to sprinkle on top

Preparation time: about 4 hours (35 minutes to prepare, three hours inactive, 25 minutes baking)

Directions:
1. Cook the potato (peeled) in slightly salted water. It should take about 20 minutes. Test with a fork for readiness.
2. In a large bowl add the flour, yeast, sugar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and most of the rosemary leaves chopped in small pieces. Save 2 rosemary sprigs for the end.  Pass the potato (when still hot) through a ricer into the bowl.

3. Dissolve the salt in 10 fl oz of warm water. Add to the bowl. Mix with a spoon first, until most of the flour is absorbed. Once the dough comes together, move it to a clean, lightly floured counter and knead for several minutes, pushing with your palm down and forward. The dough should be sightly sticking to your hand. Add some flour if too sticky, or add a tiny bit of water if too hard to work.
Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Keep it in a warm place. As I do for my pizza dough, I place it in the oven (turned off obviously!). Let the dough rise for about an hour and a half.

4. Line a 9 x 12 in baking pan with parchment paper. Place the dough on the paper, and flatten it down with your fingers. With your finger, punch some holes on the dough, just like in the picture. Sprinkle with sea salt and the remaining rosemary. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Put the pan back in the off-oven, and let the dough rise for another hour and a half, or so.

5. Remove the pan from the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees. Bake the focaccia bread for about 23- 25 minutes, until slightly golden on top.

Cut in squares and serve warm or at room temperature ... always delicious! Enjoy!

HOT FUDGE SUNDAY CAKE FOR MOTHERS DAY

Click On This Photo For
The Full YUMMMMM-factor

 

The first time I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it because it had a lot of things going for it. First and foremost, it is an ooey-gooey chocolate dream. Secondly, there are no mixing bowls (you mix it right in the baking pan). Thirdly, it does not require any special ingredients (not even butter or eggs). And finally, this super-tender chocolate cake bakes on top of a rich hot fudge sauce…need I say more?

¾ cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa (divided)1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ cups boiling water
1½ teaspoons instant coffee granules
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350°. In an (un-greased) 8”x8” baking pan, mix flour, white sugar, ¼ cup of the cocoa, baking powder and salt (stir it up to combine); add the milk and oil and stir until the batter is well mixed.
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Mix the brown sugar and ¼ cup of cocoa together and sprinkle evenly over the batter (DO NOT MIX IT IN).
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Combine the boiling water, vanilla and instant coffee and gently pour it over everything (DO NOT MIX IT IN).
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Bake for 35 minutes (the hot fudge sauce will bubble up from underneath and around the edges of the cake as it bakes). Allow this to cool for 15 minutes before you serve it (just make sure it's very warm when you serve it).
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To serve, top a slice of cake with scoop of vanilla ice cream and spoon the hot fudge sauce (from the bottom of the pan)over the ice cream.
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As simple as this dessert is…it is just unique enough (and delicious enough) for company as well.

Sinfully Delicious Egg and Pancetta on Toasted and Bread Cups

These cute bread cups have it all: perfectly baked egg, crispy-at-the-edges pancetta, and melted cheesy center. 
All over a golden toasted bread cup.
Brunch can't get any better than this!

What's not to love about this dish?! It has bacon. It has perfectly baked, runny eggs. It's served over a toasted slice of cheesy bread. It's quick and super easy to make in a few simple steps. And check it out: only four main ingredients ... no oil not butter!
With this recipe, you can make your Sunday brunch extra special, served next to a healthy green salad. But eggs is one of those things that you can really eat at any time of the day: for a hearty breakfast, a quick lunch or a fun family dinner.  Also, with these cute and elegant bread cups, you can for sure wow your guests at your next party!
And hey! Mother's Day is right around the corner. You have a week to show this recipe and convince your kids (and your husband) to bake these for you. So you can treat yourself with a lavish brunch ... maybe served in bed :-)
And don't forget, the apple roses would also look really good on that breakfast tray ;-)

Here are a few suggestions for you. Make sure you have large enough slices of bread, so that the bread can hold the filling inside. And it's better if the slices are cut thin, so there is more space inside. Also I suggest using small or medium eggs. A large egg might over-spill, when you use a regular sized muffin cup.

Buon appetito!

Ingredients: to make 6 cups (serving 2 or 3)              Printable Recipe

• 6 slices of bread
• about 3 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella
• 6 cage-free, organic small or medium eggs
• 6 slices of pancetta, or thin cut bacon
• salt and pepper

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Remove the crust from the bread slices.

2. Flatten the bread slices with a rolling pin.

 3. Place each slice in each muffin cup, pressing it down with your fingers. Don't worry if the bread breaks on the bottom, it will be fine. I used a silicone mold, so no greasing is required. If you are not, make sure to spray or grease with a little bit of butter the bottom and sides of the cup.

4. Sprinkle the bottom of each bread cup with about half tablespoon of shredded mozzarella.

5. Wrap a slice of pancetta around the edge.

6. Add the egg, trying not to break the yolk. It might overflow if the egg is too big... don't worry!  Medium or small eggs work better in this recipe.

7. Sprinkle with salt, and pepper. Remember the pancetta or bacon tends to be salty so don't use too much salt. Bake for about 20 minutes for a runny egg, 25 minutes for a fully cooked egg.

 Serve immediately and eat as fast as you can. Buon appetito!