World Nutella Day

February 5, 2010 is the official World Nutella Day. Nutella was created in the 1940s by Pietro Ferrero, owner of the infamous Ferrero company. During the 40's, chocolate and cocoa were in short supply due to WWII rationing, so Ferrero ingeniously used hazelnuts instead. Thus, the scrumptious hazelnut spread was born. Even today, the spread is still so delectable that it gets its very own holiday when lovers of the stuff unite to celebrate its existence. If that isn't evidence of how truly tantalizing Nutella is, then I don't know what is!

In honor of this day, I've decided to make Shortbread Nutella Sandwiches. The recipe I used I created from several different baking recipes that I had on hand.

Ingredients:

1.5 C flour
1/4 C cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 C unsalted butter at room temp.
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Nutella

In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes until smooth. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until a dough forms. Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface and use a circular biscuit or cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for about 12* minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.


Once cooled, spread nutella on one side of the cookie and place another cookie on top forming a sandwich. Buon appetito!


*Please note: Everyone's oven is different. My cookies only took 12-13 minutes, but some recipes I've seen have called for 22-25 minutes. Monitoring your cookies is key to ensuring they do not burn.

Focaccia Bread

Who doesn't like fresh baked bread that comes straight from the hot oven? Exactly... so I decided to make focaccia bread to serve with chicken cacciatore that I made for dinner the other night. I have made this recipe a few times and am not sure why I haven't made it more. It's easy and delicious. The recipe I use is from the greatest baking resource that I know (besides my mother of course)... William Sonoma's Essentials of Baking.


This is an amazing cookbook that has everything from pain au levain to puff pastry to classic chocolate ganache. I would recommend this cookbook to the beginner or the experienced baker. It has all the classic baking recipes that are fairly stress-free and easy to follow. Hope you guys try this one and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
2 packages dry yeast
1 3/4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 cups flour and extra for kneading
3 teaspoons sea salt
1.5 teaspoons dried rosemary*

Directions:
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand until foamy about 5 minutes. Add the sugar, 1/2 cup of olive oil, the flour, and 2 teaspoons of sea salt. If using a kitchen aid, attach the dough hook and knead on low speed for 5-7 minutes (or knead by hand for same amount of time). Add up to 1/2 cup flour while kneading in order to prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl. Form the dough in a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 1-1.5 hours.


Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of oil on a half-sheet pan. Press the dough into the pan. If it's too elastic to spread out, let it rest for 5 minutes. Cover the pan with a dry kitchen towel and let rise again for 1 hour. Position a rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 450. Dimple the dough with your fingertips. Sprinkle with remaining sea salt and rosemary. Bake focaccia for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in aluminum foil or freeze. ENJOY! (Printable recipe)


*There are numerous variations for toppings you can choose from. Another delicious option is to saute onions and garlic in a pain until both are caramelized. Add to the focaccia just before dimpling the dough.