Chocolate Hazelnut & Raspberry Greek Yogurt Parfait

 

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

Much like every other holiday since last March 2020, Valentine's day is kind of a bust this year!

Then again, we don't usually do much for V-Day anyway. Mr. V and I are not exactly what you would call romantic people.

Not that we don't love each other, of course!

It's just that our perfect movie date night would include something more along the lines of John Wick than The Notebook. No biggie.

"Hey girl.... I feel like there's not enough death & destruction in this movie for us."

(Remember those 'Hey girl' Ryan Gosling memes? Or am I just embarrassing/dating myself haha?)

Anyhow... what I have for you today is more of an idea than a recipe. But I will do my best to approximate amounts so you can replicate this deliciousness at home. 

I will never forget the day I went into the grocery store and saw Chobani was now making little containers of Greek yogurt mixed with nut butters, including chocolate hazelnut. 

It didn't stop me in my tracks because I thought it was a revolutionary idea, though. 

No, I had been making this at home for years and felt like I should definitely own the patent to that combo by then.

Robbed, I tell you. Robbed!

However, that didn't stop me from buying a few containers because, well, convenience.

But I can't say I've seen any of those in the stores by us recently? So I guess they weren't hot sellers, though I can't imagine why. 

Whatever the reason, that just means you'll have no choice other than to make it yourself at home!

For this, I like to do about a tablespoon of Nutella per half cup of plain Greek yogurt. That would honestly be pushing it on the sweetness for me as a lunch option.

But, you do you. This is your parfait.

"Hey girl... put as much Nutella in that yogurt as your beautiful heart desires."

(See, Ryan says it's cool- go nuts.)

After a while, I discovered that this delicious yogurt mixture is further complemented by fresh raspberries. Yum.

Then Santa brought me some chocolate granola in my stocking and boom. My parfait was born.

Yes, I'll admit we are definitely getting closer to dessert territory as opposed to lunch. So let's just go ahead and cross that line! 

Add a dollop of whipped cream and some chocolate sauce because it's pretty.

And delicious. The perfect storm.

"Hey girl... you deserve nothing less than perfection."

Ok ok, I'll stop now.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Hazelnut & Raspberry Greek Yogurt Parfait

• 1 T. Nutella (or other chocolate hazelnut spread)
• 1/2 C. plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 C. chocolate granola (or any other granola of your choosing)
• 1/4 C. fresh raspberries
• optional: whipped cream, chocolate syrup, mini chocolate chips

Mix Nutella and yogurt together in a small bowl, until well combined. 

Spoon half of yogurt mixture to a parfait cup or small mason jar. Sprinkle with granola. Add remaining yogurt and top with raspberries.

Top with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and/or mini chocolate chips if desired.

Original Recipe

Hazelnut Carmelitas

So call me crazy, but Pinterest is one of the best things that's ever happened to me.

To say that I'm obsessed with it is a serious understatement.  I have wasted spent hours upon hours on this website, scrolling through pins.  Salivating over delicious foods.  Simmering with jealousy over other people's fabulous sense of style.  Willing my pea brain to remember all the handy tips I've read.  And wishing I had more time to make all the neat crafts I've seen.

(In a more practical sense, I also love Pinterest because it has brought so many new visitors to my blog.  Yay! I like new friends!)

Now, I recently noticed a very popular Pinterest recipe, for Carmelitas from Lulu the Baker, that I have been dying to try.

I'm sure the original recipe is amazing, but I wanted to put a slightly different spin on it - so I added some Nutella and toasted hazelnuts.

Oh my word.  These things are dangerous.

My dad and stepmom had Mr. Vittles and I over for dinner, and we brought these for dessert.  My stepmom specifically asked to be quoted on V&B that she "thoroughly enjoyed" this dessert.  Which, might I add, is a lot coming from a person that doesn't much care for sweets.

My dad... well that's another story.  I only brought a few because they don't like to keep bad-for-you food in the house, but he quickly determined that the two leftover bars would definitely not be going home with us.

I did have a couple more left at our house though, so I brought one to my friend (and cube buddy) Joe at work.  He loves caramel, so I figured he would enjoy it.  It lasted until about 8:30AM on his desk, when I heard a muffled "These are amazing!" over my cubicle wall, amidst lots of chewing.

So please, do me a few favors.

One, get on Pinterest if you aren't already.  

And two, make some carmelitas.  Plain, hazelnut, whichever - just please make them!

I can't be the only one wearing pants with an elastic waist around here.

Hazelnut Carmelitas

• 16 caramel squares, unwrapped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 C. nutella spread
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 C. semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 C. chopped hazelnuts (I recommend toasting them first, but that's up to you)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a large bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8" pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

While crust is baking, melt caramel squares with heavy cream and nutella in saucepan over low heat.  Stir until melted & smooth.

Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips and hazelnuts over baked crust. Pour caramel mixture evenly over pan. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.*

*The original recipe says you can put these in the fridge to speed up cooling if you are short on time. The bars shouldn't be served cold, but the caramel takes a long time to cool down.  I would wait until they are cooled a little bit though first if you used a glass pan (don't want it to crack).  Bars should be stored and served at room temperature.  Mine were good for about 5 days in an airtight container.  Makes 1 8x8 square pan.

Recipe Adapted from Lulu the Baker

Chocolate-Covered Nutella Bites

Halloween was always one of my favorite holidays growing up.

Dressing up, candy, pumpkins, scary stories & movies... what's not to like?

What's funny though is that it was probably my mother's least favorite holiday.

She hated Halloween.

But she was always a good sport about it.

We always carved pumpkins & decorated the house.  She would make me the best costumes, like Raggedy Ann, a bunny, and an Ewok from Star Wars.

She would also watch Garfield's Halloween Adventure with me.  Have you ever seen it?

It's amazing.

Ok... maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration.  But watching that movie is one of my favorite Halloween memories as a youngster.

Garfield convinces Odie to go trick or treating on Halloween so he can get double the treats.  But things take a wrong turn and they end up at an abandoned old mansion, where they learn from a creepy old man that ghost pirates are set to come that very night to get some treasure they left there 100 years earlier.

Yeah.  Ghost pirates.  Whoa.

Well they try to escape, but the old man steals their boat & they can't get off the island.  They end up getting away from the ghost pirates eventually, but Garfield nearly drowns in the process.  Odie saves his life, so Garfield decides to share & gives him half the treats after all.

My mom always used to quote Garfield's catch phrase from that movie - "Candy candy candy!"

(He says it a few times in the movie, but you can see it below around 4:40)



Because let's face it... Halloween is a license to eat as much candy as you possibly can without getting sick.

Sure kids love it, but adults end up buying a bag or two more than what they plan to give out to trick or treaters.

Or maybe that's just me?

Anyway, this year I was feeling bold and decided to try & make a little of my own candy.  I was inspired by a recipe I saw on Pinterest from The Whimsical Princess, for making your own Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs at home.

But in honor of the season, I decided to use fall sprinkles and miniature leaf, pumpkin, and acorn cookie cutters to give them an autumn theme.

The good part is, they are very versatile - you could make these with any sprinkles & in any shape (you could even just roll them in balls if you are too lazy to roll out the 'dough') for any occasion.

Or... any time you just feel like some "candy candy candy!"

Chocolate-Covered Nutella Bites

• 1/2 C. Nutella spread
• 1/2 C. Oreo cookie crumbs (about 5 whole cookies)
• 1 C. powdered sugar
• 2 T. butter, softened
• 1-2 T. milk 
• 2 C. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 t. shortening
• sprinkles, for decorating (optional)

Line a large baking sheet with parchment, waxed paper, or non-stick foil and set aside.

In a large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, stir together Nutella, Oreo cookie crumbs, powdered sugar, and butter until well-combined.  Add 1 T. milk and mix on medium speed until a cohesive dough starts to form.  If necessary, add a little more milk, & blend until the dough holds together well after shaping into a ball.  (Dough should be soft & pliable, almost like Play-Doh.)

Place a large piece of waxed paper or parchment over countertop and place ball of dough on top.  Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut out with desired cookie-cutters, and place shapes on prepared baking sheet.  Combine dough scraps back into a ball and re-roll, cutting more shapes until you use all dough.

Place baking sheet with shapes in freezer for about a half hour.  Line another baking sheet with waxed paper or nonstick foil & set aside.

Melt chocolate chips with shortening in large microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl, in 30 second increments, stirring after each.  Using a fork, dip shapes into chocolate, then shake off excess chocolate and scrape bottom of fork on side of cup or bowl to take off more chocolate from bottom.  Place on bare baking sheet, and decorate with sprinkles if desired.  (Note: You may need to re-melt chocolate if it starts getting hard.  You may also need to place un-dipped shapes back in freezer if they get too soft.)

Once shapes are all coated with chocolate, place in refrigerator 15 minutes to set chocolate.  Makes 30-40 1” bites.  Store in airtight container – does not require refrigeration, but bites will keep longer in the fridge than at room temp and also be more solid.

Recipe Adapted from The Whimsical Princess

Crispy Peanut Butter Nutella Bars

This weekend my good friend Vanessa hosted a surprise 60th birthday party for her mom's best friend.

Vanessa's mom Lucy is adorable and hilarious and makes the most gorgeous sea glass jewelry and has five dogs and owns a sub shop and says things like "Oh, balls."

 Lucy & Vanessa, 2009

So it would only be natural that she has an equally fabulous best friend.

Enter Paulette.  She cracks me up by saying the funniest things, and her mannerisms top it all off.  Frankly she's a little scatterbrained and spastic, but it's really quite endearing.

So... I knew that I had to make something amazing for her special day.   For a while I've had Peanut Butter Crispy Bars from Baked on my list of "Must Try" recipes, but I got to thinking ... what if I made the base layer with peanut butter, and added some Nutella in the mix?

And ate half the Nutella jar in the process?

Actually that last part wasn't in the plan, it just sort of spontaneously happened.

Anywho I brought the bars to the party, and aside from surviving the 'end of the world,' I think that dessert might have been the best thing to happen to about 10 middle-aged, chocolate-fiending females on Saturday night. 

Not long after the desserts were put out, Paulette flew into the kitchen, eyes wide & pointing frantically at her over-stuffed mouth.

I was about to start giving her the Heimlich when she swallowed and said "Maggie! Those thingys you made are delicious, what are they?"

I explained that they were peanut butter crispy bars with dark chocolate & Nutella, and she was so overjoyed that she hugged me!

Then I walked outside onto the back deck, and was greeted by more excited chatter from the other ladies who had sampled my wares.

I heard a lot of very generous compliments, but my favorite was that they were "orgasmic."

!!

One woman asked for the recipe, but I didn't have it memorized so I promised to get it to Vanessa for her.  Another woman asked for the basic ingredients, which I was able to explain.

Then not long after, the first woman came up to me all upset that the second woman was given the recipe and she wasn't!

I kindly explained that it wasn't actually a recipe, just the list of ingredients - but she still seemed suspicious.

Ironically, I had just asked her not more than an hour earlier for a recipe for her spinach salad with strawberries.  And she threatened to take it back!

I'm sure she was kidding.

I hope.

But here's a little piece of advice - if you are planning to bring these bars to a party, make sure you also bring the recipe.

Otherwise you might get jumped by a gang of 55 year-old women.

And it would be awfully awkward to explain that black eye to your friends & coworkers the next day.

Crispy Peanut Butter Nutella Bars

Peanut Butter Crisp:

• 4 C. crispy rice cereal
• 2/3 C. brown sugar
• 2/3 C. light corn syrup
• 2/3 C. peanut butter

Nutella Layer:

• 1 1/2 C. chocolate chips
• 1 C. Nutella spread

Chocolate Icing:

• 6 oz. dark (bittersweet) chocolate, chopped
• 1 t. light corn syrup
• 8 T. butter, cut into tablespoons

Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.  Place corn syrup, brown sugar, and peanut butter in a large saucepan.  Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to boil (be careful here, it can burn quickly).  Remove from heat and stir in rice cereal.  Stir to coat thoroughly, then press into prepared pan evenly using a greased spatula.

Place pan in refrigerator to cool.  Meanwhile, make second layer: place chocolate chips and Nutella into a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.  Pour over cooled cereal mixture and spread evenly with offset spatula.

Allow second layer to cool completely.  Then make chocolate icing: place dark chocolate, 1 t. light corn syrup, and butter into microwave-safe bowl.  Melt in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Pour over cooled bars and spread evenly with offset spatula.

Allow to cool, then cut into bars.  Keep leftovers in refrigerator in air-tight container, for 4-5 days.  Makes about 18 (they are very rich, so I actually cut them a lot smaller for the party- but you can cut them whatever size you like).

Recipe adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, via Smitten Kitchen

Salted Caramel Nutella Brownies

Is it just me or has something been a little off the last few days?

I can't put my finger on it but I have just been getting a weird vibe, and odd things have been happening.

Work has been totally insane - or more specifically, the people I encounter at work have been insane.  I don't even want to get into it, so you'll just have to trust me on that.

But even at home, it's been a bit strange...

For instance, I came home from work a couple days ago to find the police parked in front of my house, "helping" a very old & very inebriated gentleman remove himself from my neighbor's lawn.

Nothing like getting sassy on a random Wednesday afternoon, and stopping for a little nap in the grass on your walk home!

Then yesterday evening, our living room ceiling started leaking water out of nowhere.  A huge patch of ceiling became saturated & discolored in a matter of minutes, and was dripping from all different parts.

Our landlords have a plumber coming to fix it and I'm sure it will be totally fine but... ahh!

Probably weirdest of all though is that my husband has not been sleeping.

Now I know a lot of people have this problem - but for Mr. V, it's like the cosmos have come to a screeching halt and turned his life upside down.

Typically, he sleeps like a rock... on tranquilizers... that's been hit over the head with a frying pan.

However, the house we recently moved to is on a bit of a busy street, and he's been having trouble sleeping with the sound of the passing cars.  So the slightest movement from me now wakes him up. 

Like... the sound of the lightswitch on the lamp.

??

Seriously.  I don't even know this man.  For years, not only could I turn off the light, I could probably unscrew the lightbulb and throw it at his head without him noticing a thing.

So now with his newfound problem, he's been setting up a sleeping bag in the only room in our house where you can't hear traffic driving by outside - our (large) closet. 

Which means I get to step over 7 layers of sleeping bags & random blankets in order to get to my clothes in the morning.

Crazy, I tell you.  Just crazy.

What's also crazy is that I have never put together Nutella, brownies, and salted caramel before this week.

On Monday I bought a fresh jar of Nutella at the store and was contemplating what to make with it.  I decided on brownies, and I found a good recipe on Noble Pig for Peanut Butter-Nutella Brownies.

But I was shooting for a more Nutella-y brownie, so I replaced the peanut butter with more Nutella.

Because I can.

Surprisingly, though, the Nutella flavor is still fairly subtle.  Maybe it's overpowered by the salted caramel (that was a complete afterthought)?

But who cares.  They're fudgy, rich, gooey, and absolutely delicious.

I need something to keep me sane in this mad, mad world!

Salted Caramel Nutella Brownies

• 1/2 C. flour
• 1/2 C. unsweeteend cocoa powder
• pinch salt
• 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1 stick (8 T.) butter, melted
• 3/4 C. + 2 T. sugar
• 1 t. pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C. Nutella spread

Caramel Glaze

• 1/4 C. heavy cream
• 1 C. sugar
• 1/4 C. water
• 2 T. butter, cut in pieces
• 1/2 t. kosher salt, divided

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 square pan (or you may line with foil & grease, if desired - will make it easier to serve later after glazed).  In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In large microwavable bowl, melt butter in 20 second intervals, stirring after each until smooth.  Add sugar & vanilla, and whisk until well-combined.  Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.  Add cocoa mixture and whisk until fully combined. 

In glass measuring cup or other microwave-safe bowl, melt Nutella in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and pourable consistency.  Stir into batter.  Pour into prepared pan and bake 27-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Allow to cool completely, then make glaze: in small saucepan over low heat, warm heavy cream - do not boil.  In separate medium saucepan, combine sugar & water but DO NOT STIR.  Place over medium-high heat & bring to a boil.  Cook until mixture turns an amber color, but not too dark that it looks like the sugar is burning.  (For me this took 5-7 minutes, but keep an eye on it.) 

Remove from heat and add warm cream, butter, and 1/2 t. kosher salt.  Stir gently until smooth & well combined.  Pour over cooked brownies, tilting the pan to coat.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 t. kosher salt.  Allow glaze to set before cutting/serving.

Brownie Recipe Adapted from Noble Pig; Caramel Glaze Slightly Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Nutella Caramel Corn

So I don't know if anyone else has noticed this trend, but I feel like recipes using Nutella have been EVERYWHERE recently.

For anyone that doesn't know what that is - Nutella is a hazelnut & chocolate spread that's smooth, like creamy peanut butter.  It's sort of like a spreadable Ferrero Rocher candy. 

In other words- incredibly delicious.

I've been dying to get in on the Nutella action for a while now - I had a little bit left in the cabinet from some recipe I made months ago.  But I wanted to make something I haven't seen yet & nothing has really come to me.

Until now.

This week I had a serious hankering for popcorn... which, actually, happens on almost a daily basis... but this time I wanted caramel corn specifically.

Then I got to thinking - what if I made a Nutella caramel corn?  That could be awesome.

And... it is.

I only had a half of a cup of Nutella left, though, so be aware that caramel corn made from the recipe below only has a hint of the chocolate hazelnut.  Mr. V really liked it, and he said he could tell that it was not regular caramel corn - but he was not able to pick out the Nutella flavor specifically.

I think if you wanted a stronger flavor, you could probably increase the amount to 2/3 or even 3/4 of a cup and still have a caramel with the right consistency.

But hey - "experimenting" will just give you a good reason to eat a bunch of caramel corn.

What could be wrong with that?

Nutella Caramel Corn

• 4 quarts plain popped popcorn*
• 6 T. butter
• 1/2 C. light corn syrup
• 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 1/2 C. Nutella spread (see note above)
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. vanilla

Place popcorn in large roasting pan and preheat oven 250 degrees.  (I covered my pan in foil first to minimize cleanup).

In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, Nutella, and salt, stirring to blend.  Bring to a boil, then boil five minutes while stirring constantly.  You will see large bubbles in the mixture.

Remove saucepan from heat, then stir in baking soda and vanilla until combined.  Mixture will become light and foamy.  Pour over popcorn, and mix with a spatula to coat.  You will be cooking & stirring the popcorn a few more times, so don't be too concerned with covering all the corn fully at this point.

Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Line your countertop with a few sheets of waxed paper and dump corn out onto paper.  Being careful not to burn your fingers, separate the pieces as desired.  Store in an airtight container.

*Note: 2/3 C. of unpopped popcorn should yield 4 quarts of popcorn for you.  You could also use microwave popcorn, but just make sure you get one that's plain NOT buttered.

Original Recipe