EASY NUTELLA PIZZA: National Pizza Day!

I think of Nutella as goodness in a jar! I always have a jar in the pantry, but you can make your own. There are also some other great chocolate hazelnut spreads. Check them out.

Nutella is more than just a “chocolaty hazelnut spread,” it is a way of life.

You're probably having a pizza today to celebrate National Pizza Day. Great! But why not add an easy and delicious "Nutella Pizza" for dessert. 

EASY NUTELLA PIZZA

Ingredients
Pizza Dough (I use Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup Nutella
1/3 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts
1/3 cup grated (or chopped) white chocolate

Directions
Preheat oven to 425.
Spray baking sheet. Set aside.
Prepare dough.
Flatten dough on baking sheet. Make it thin. This is a 'thin crust' pizza. Bake dough for 10 minutes.
Spread NUTELLA over pizza dough.
Top with toasted chopped hazelnuts and grated chocolate (to look like cheese) or  chopped white chocolate (or both).
Put pizza back into the oven for 3-5 minutes, until chocolate just starts to melt.
Cool before cutting.

How easy is this? 

CHOCOLATE GAZPACHO for Super Bowl Sunday

So many great foods to serve today for Super Bowl Sunday, but here's one that's right up my alley: Chocolate Gazpacho. I love Chocolate Soup! FYI: This is savory! 

This Chocolate Gazpacho recipe is from Chef Mat Schuster of San Francisco’s Canela Bistro & Wine Bar I posted years ago, but thought it deserved a repost. Thank You, Mat, for permission to post! And, of course, this Chocolate Gazpacho would be great to serve on Valentine's Day! It's quite versatile! Bookmark it!

Chocolate Gazpacho

Ingredients
3 Tbsp unsweetened dark Cocoa Powder
2 cloves garlic
1 small shallot, diced
1 Tbsp Spanish Sherry Vinegar
1/2 cup Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup cucumber
1/4 cup bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup to 1 cup cold water
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
Place all ingredients into pitcher of blender and blend until smooth. Add enough water to make consistency of choice, but make sure you don’t dilute the flavor.
Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate to chill the soup.
Before serving, garnish with chocolate shavings. You can also add croutons for a crunch.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE with a TWIST: 2 Recipes for Fondue Day. Save for Valentine's Day!

Today is National Fondue Day! How perfect, especially Chocolate Fondue, for Valentine's Day, so bookmark this post. Fondue is so retro and romantic! Who doesn't like to dip things in chocolate? So pull up two chairs at the mid-century table you found at the Flea Market, and enjoy!

A few tips: You can make everything ahead of time: cut up the fruit, put out the marshmallows, and other dippers. Be sure and have lots of napkins on hand, it can get messy. Fondue pots are readily available at most kitchen stores and many hardware stores, and online, of course. Or.. search the attic or ask your mother. You're bound to find one -- maybe even one that's never been used!

Here are two easy Chocolate Fondue Recipes--with a Twist!

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL FONDUE

Ingredients
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 jar Recchiuti burnt caramel sauce (I'm partial to this sauce)*
3 ounces extra dark chocolate (75% cacao), chopped
Assorted fresh fruit

Directions
Combine condensed milk, caramel sauce, and chocolate in saucepan. Cook over low heat until chocolate is melted.
Put in fondue pot and keep warm.

Serve fresh fruit--strawberries, bananas, pineapple, oranges for dipping!

More suggested dippers: marshmallows, pound cake, pretzels, biscotti

EASY CHOCOLATE BOOZY FONDUE
Adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
12-15 ounces dark chocolate bars, chopped
2 Tbsp Amaretto or Kirsch
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

Directions
Heat 1/2 cup cream in heavy saucepan over moderate heat until cream comes to low boil.
Remove pan from heat and add chocolate.
Let chocolate stand in hot cream 3 to 5 minutes to soften, then whisk chocolate together with cream. Stir in liqueur and chopped nuts and transfer to fondue pot.

Dip fruit and other goodies as above. Use fondue forks, skewers, or seafood forks

SUPER BOWL CHOCOLATE COVERED FOOTBALL STRAWBERRIES

Are your ready for the Super Bowl? These Chocolate Covered Strawberries, with the addition of some white chocolate icing, make fun footballs, so they're perfect for Super Bowl Sunday!

Chocolate Covered Football Strawberries are easy to make. Not a lot of fuss, and it's fun. Great project to do with kids, too! The strawberries on the right are dipped in milk chocolate (more football colored), but I prefer dark chocolate. It's up to you. Just remember to use the very best chocolate, and the freshest strawberries. 

(With apologies to the originator of this recipe. I saw this years ago, and can't remember where--Thank you.)

CHOCOLATE COVERED FOOTBALL STRAWBERRIES

Ingredients
1 quart fresh large fresh strawberries, with tops
1 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate (or Milk, if you're a purist), chopped
3 Tbsp heavy cream
White chocolate, melted

Directions
Rinse strawberries and dry thoroughly, keeping tops on. In top of double boiler or stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water, combine chocolate and heavy cream. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Dip strawberries 1/2-3/4 way up in chocolate mixture and place on waxpaper or parchment lined cookie sheet to allow chocolate to harden.
When hardened, decorate with melted white chocolate (see below).

Hints:
Wash strawberries and pat dry with paper towels; set aside. Make sure strawberries are completely dry. A drop of water in melted chocolate can cause it to "seize" and turn the entire mixture into a mess. How to smooth out the chocolate: add a tiny bit of honey and stir.

How to dip:
Grasp stem of strawberry and dip into chocolate, swirling to partially cover with chocolate. Give strawberry a small shake as you pull it out of the chocolate. When strawberry is completely out of chocolate, swirl it in quick, clockwise motion to let excess chocolate drip off. Place on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment. Repeat with rest of strawberries.

For White Chocolate Football Decoration: 
Melt white chocolate in Microwave on high for 20 seconds or so. Stir and repeat if necessary. Put white chocolate in piping bag (or ziplock bag-and cut off a tiny corner). Pipe stripe on top and bottom of strawberries. Pipe line down middle and then do about 5 short cross lines.

Tip: Go back over the cross lines to avoid drips