Nutella Sweet Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze and Toasted Hazelnuts

Today is World Nutella Day 2011! To celebrate I bring you these Nutella filled sweet rolls - and I do mean filled - I used an entire 13 oz jar of Nutella to fill the dough.  It may sound like it is going to be overkill, but you actually don't want to skimp because you'll be surprised when it actually bakes up that the filling is much less gooey than you think it is going to be, as you can see below it seems to concentrate down and bake into the dough.

The idea for these rolls came to me on a whim yesterday when I was watching everyone tweeting about all their ideas for today (search the #nutelladay hashtag or follow @nutelladay for updates).  

I had thought of this a while ago, but never got around to trying it.  I knew I had bookmarked this cinnamon roll recipe though and really wanted to try it.

Speaking of Nutella inspiration, if you can handle it (and control your drool reflex) you should definitely visit the new site from Paula at bell'alimento - Bella Nutella - All Nutella, All the Time - it looks insanely gorgeous!

I ended up adapting the dough recipe by sweetening the dough with dark brown sugar (my favorite sugar!) and adding a little vanilla to the dough. It is a really nice dough to work with, but since it is very soft and the Nutella is very smooth and creamy, you can bet you are going to end up with a little of a mess on your hands... which you can then just lick off, so I see that as a win-win!

I made the dough yesterday, let it rise, shaped the rolls and then held them in the refrigerator overnight so I could have these warm this morning. The dough doesn't rise overmuch the second time around so don't expect these to be big and puffy.  The dough is tender and still really good though and the Nutella filling in it is heavenly. 

The recipe makes about 18 rolls and since I didn't need that kind of damage on my hands all at once I just baked off these 5 and placed the rest of the shaped (not risen) rolls onto a lined baking sheet and stashed them in the freezer to freeze solid.  That way the next time I want these I can place them in a pan the day before and let them thaw and soften in the refrigerator again.

The rolls don't actually need anything at all on top of them, but just because I never seem to leave well enough alone, I made a little cream cheese glaze to top them and added a few toasted, chopped hazelnuts.  Either way, these rolls were pretty spectacular.

They would make a great treat for a brunch or any special day.  I know it may be a while before I can go back to plain old cinnamon rolls! 

NOTE:  There are more Nutella lovin' links at the very bottom of the post!

Nutella Sweet Rolls
Makes approximately 18 rolls

Printable Version

Dough:

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla

2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 2 envelopes yeast)

1 teaspoon salt

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling:

1 13-ounce jar Nutella

Glaze:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon milk or enough to get desired consistency

For the dough: Place the milk and butter in a glass measuring cup and microwave them on high until the butter is mostly melted (should be 120°F to 130°F, about 30 to 45 seconds. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. 

Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 2 1/2 cups more of the flour and beat the mixture on low until the flour is absorbed.  The dough will be sticky, but should be starting to clear the sides of the bowl.  Add the remaining flour a little at a time, just enough as needed to get a soft dough that cleans the sides of the bowl.  

You can either switch to the dough hook on your mixer, or turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to knead.  The dough should still be soft, smooth and tacky, but not sticky when you are done.  It will take about 8 minutes by hand, or about 3 to 4 minutes with the dough hook.  Form the dough into a ball.

Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer the dough ball to the bowl and turn to coat the ball on all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15x11-inch rectangle. Spread the entire jar of Nutella over the dough, evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Starting at 1 long side, roll the dough into a log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up - this will be a little messy with the Nutella, but just try to keep the log as tight as you can. With seam side down, use a 12-inch long piece of waxed dental floss (not flavored) or a clean piece of white thread to cut the dough into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).  Just place the string under the log, bring it up around the dough and cross the string like to cut up and through the dough. This is the least messy way to cut the dough with all that Nutella filling, but if you want you can just use a sharp thin knife - the slices may just be more difficult to keep neat.

Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes.

Position a rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 17 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool a little before glazing.

For the glaze:

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Sprinkle with the chopped, toasted hazelnuts if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE:  Toasting Hazelnuts - place whole hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast them in a 350  degree F oven, skins on, for 10 minutes.  Remove them from the oven and while still hot dump them into a clean dish towel.  Wrap them up, well covered in the dish towel, then rub them using the towel (they will be hot so be careful!) to remove as much of the skin as possible.  Let them cool before picking the cleaned hazelnuts out of the towel and chopping them.  To easily clean the towel just shake it out (outside is best) or over your trash can.

Adapted from Cinnamon Rolls by Molly Wizenberg

You might also like:

Self-Frosting Pumpkin Nutella Muffins

Sweet Crepes filled with Nutella and Caramel Glazed Hazelnuts

Chocolate Nutella Cookies from Two Peas and Their Pod

Bella Nutella - All Nutella, All the Time

Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

As promised, here is the recipe for the homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread I used in the Split Level Pudding from the other day. The texture of the homemade spread is rougher than Nutella, but, as much as this may come as sacrilege to the legions of Nutella lovers out there, I think the flavor is worlds better. After tasting the homemade stuff, and then tasting the Nutella again, honestly, I couldn't taste the chocolate or the hazelnut as much as the additives in it. Plus, there is the added benefit of using really good chocolate that you love. If you want a smoother texture, just be less impatient than me and process the mixture for a bit longer. The mixture was also fairly runny when it was warm and took a while to set up into the thicker texture. (You can see the thinner texture below).

Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread

Recipe from Gale Gand's Brunch!

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and peeled

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

12 ounces good quality milk chocolate, chopped and melted

To toast and peel the hazelnuts, heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toast the hazelnuts in one layer on a baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes, until browned and the skins are slightly blistered. Wrap them in a clean tea towel and rub continuously for a few minutes to remove the loose skin. Not all the skin will loosen enough to come off, just do your best and that's fine. Let the hazelnuts cool before grinding.

To melt the chocolate, chop it into small pieces. Place a heat proof bowl over barely simmering water (not deep enough to touch the bottom of the bowl) in a medium saucepan - about 1 inch should do it. Stir the chocolate a few times and let it melt slowly. Once it is mostly melted, remove it from the heat and let the residual heat finish melting the rest of the chocolate.

Grind the hazelnuts well in a food processor to make a paste. Add the oil, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and continue processing. Add the melted chocolate and blend well. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, to remove any large nut pieces. The mixture will be thin and a little warm. Pour it into a jar and let it cool and thicken slightly. The spread keeps for a month in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Delicious in crepes with some bananas!

TWD: Split Level Pudding - Vanilla and Chocolate Hazelnut

My participation in Tuesdays with Dorie has obviously become rather sporadic of late. I'm thinking with the line-up of recipes for October that I should be able to manage for the most part, but who knows, right?

Anyway, I did get my act together enough to make this week's recipe, chosen by Garrett of Flavor of Vanilla, for the Split Level Pudding - in my case with a layer of Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut spread, that, though not as smooth, definitely rivals Nutella in a taste test. The recipe for the spread comes from Gale Gand and as soon as I get organized just a bit more, I will share the recipe here as well.

The only other change I made to the recipe was to make a one-third portion, which was just perfect for two 4 oz servings, which is all I needed since it was only myself and my two little kiddos eating the pudding. I layered about two tablespoons of the chocolate hazelnut spread in the bottom of each ramekin and then made the pudding, which literally took about 5 minutes. I skipped all the stovetop directions and food processor as well since it was such a small amount to manage. If I were making the full version of the recipe, I would probably go ahead and take advantage of the food processor, but the microwave was just faster and easier in this case.

I really enjoyed the pudding - which was a little surprising for me since I usually don't enjoy puddings much at all (unless they are in a pie or tart shell). I think I liked it more here because of the texture of the hazelnut spread - and of course all those pretty chocolate curls on top don't hurt anything either!

I am still bummed at myself that I didn't get my act together enough to make the tart last week, and it is definitely on my to-do list for some time when I have more energy and time because I've had that recipe bookmarked for a long time.

My apologies to my fellow TWDer's for all my slacking lately, but since I know you understand, I won't whine about it more here. As for my pregnancy, it is going as well as we can expect - which is to say, I'm still sick and we're still waiting to see what happens when the third trimester rolls around in a few weeks. In the meantime, I've started feeling the baby bumping around in there, so that is good and on time. We still haven't found out what we are having since the Doctor wants to do an in depth ultrasound with us on the 15th - so an announcement one way or the other is eminent!

Thank you again and again you all for visiting! I treasure all your comments and hope to get some time and energy soon visit your blogs and get caught up - I have been so out of touch!

Sweet Crepes - Two Ways

Crepes with Nutella and Burnt Caramel Hazelnut Praline Sauce

Until just a few years ago I had never really eaten crepes at all. Sure, we made the obligatory crepes in French class in high school, but the whole thing seemed difficult and overdone (much like my teacher) to me. She went on and on about making them and being authentic and blah, blah, blah... then she pulled out styrofoam plates filled with batter and an upside down pan that we were to dip into the batter to cook our crepes. Somehow this didn't seem to authentic to me.

Now, I'm not saying there is anything necessarily wrong with that type of crepe pan, but, since most of us couldn't get the batter on there without melting styrofoam onto the pan as well, it just didn't seem like such an incredible thing to me - especially since the crepes tasted about as good as the styrofoam - at least there was ice cream though - oh, and chocolate sauce.

Fast forward, oh about six years to working with one of the attorneys in our office who had spent a few years in France. He always went crazy when anyone mispronounced crepes (still does) and claimed to make wonderful authentic crepes - which he also does. They were incredible and seemed to be out of my culinary reach. He had the secret batter, the special pan and tools, just the right technique, etc. I was duly impressed and happy to consume several of the crepes he made for us.

There is something about simple French foods that just intimidates me at times into thinking I just can't make it - or so I thought.

Fast forward again, about two more years to breakfast at a friend's house where crepes were served. I knew that this family often had crepes with fresh fruit and cream and juice and had the most wonderful al fresco breakfasts out on their deck overlooking the valley and lake. The crepes were flavorful, tender and perfect. I once again figured that they must have been an awful lot of work to make and that they must have all the special tools. I just resigned myself that I would someday have the money to get all the "right" tools and until then I would just love those crepes from afar.

This brings us to about two years at same friend's house. I was there when we were going to make breakfast and she was going to make crepes. I thought, "oh yum, I'll get to see how it is done." So, how was it done? On a regular old big countertop pancake griddle, with the back of a metal spoon to spread the batter and a regular spatula to flip. And this is how they are always done at her house. Now, I am a big fan of authentic techniques and tools, but this showed me that I too could have crepes any time I wanted. So. Now we do.

I have tried several different batter recipes and until now, hadn't found one that I just loved hands down. I tried one, but since it called for a large amount of alcohol (and we don't drink or ever have alcohol on hand) the recipe seemed difficult to me to adapt - of course I could just sub water, but where is the fun in that? Besides, I wanted to find a recipe I loved where I would always have all the ingredients on hand.

When Suzana of Home Gourmets announced that the latest round of Hay Hay It's Donna Day! (that wonderful event created by Barbara and now cared for and organized by Bron) was going to be all about Pancakes! -- well, you know I just had to throw something into the ring. I am so glad that I did because I decided, rather than using that other crepe recipe I mentioned above, I would use one of Donna Hay's recipes (well, I changed it a bit to add some extra flavor in the form of butter and vanilla).

I love this recipe. I'm sure that I would love it without my changes as well, but for the purposes of what I wanted to do, this was absolutely perfect. The batter was simple and straightforward to make and wasn't so runny that it made a complete mess on the griddle trying to cook the crepes.

So, for my entry for HHDD, here is Donna Hay's crepe recipe - slightly changed by me - and served two ways. For a very decadent breakfast treat you can serve these as I did, filled with a spread of chocolately Nutella and folded then drizzled with some warm Burnt Caramel Hazelnut Praline Sauce for good measure (first picture). I did mention it was decadent, didn't I? For this sauce, I just melted a bit of butter, caramelized it with some sugar and tossed in a handful of chopped, toasted hazelnuts. Yum!

Butter Sugar Caramelized Crepes

For a slightly simpler way to serve these (and actually, my favorite) I just cooked the crepes and then melted some butter and sugar together in the pan and recooked the crepes so they were covered in the melty, caramely sugar. Yeah, what's not to love about that. If you want to be slightly healthier than me, well, add some fresh fruit. Me? I just eat them by the stack. Either way, I hope you'll give this crepe recipe a shot, because, for me - I've finally found my go-to recipe.

Sweet Crepes
(Adapted from Donna Hay Modern Classics 2)

2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons caster sugar
4 large eggs
1 2/3 Cups milk
2/3 Cup cream
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or pure almond extract

Sift the flour into a bowl and add the caster sugar and salt. Combine the eggs, milk, cream, and extract, whisking well. Add the melted butter and combine well. Slowly whisk into the flour until smooth. Allow to stand for 20 minutes. Cook the crepes in a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat until light golden on each side. Serve warm. Makes 20.

Daring Bakers in July: Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream

Prepare yourself for one of the strangest analogies concerning baking that you may ever hear from me. Before I get to that though, let me take care of some formalities. This month's Daring Baker's Challenge put before us was chosen by Chris over at Mele Cotte (which is where you can find the recipe as well). I can completely see why she chose this cake because it looked fabulous - and thoroughly complicated. Many components, many skills needed. The end result - well, it really was nothing short of fantastic - and surprisingly different than the Opera Cake from May, which is the only other nut based cake I have made before. The flavors all blended and complimented each other perfectly and the texture was amazingly light and airy.

However, this recipe, in all of its 9 pages of printed glory, task after task and component after component, had me swearing up and down that this cake would most likely never be made by me again. This is the cake that took large portions of two whole days to make, we had to make a cake, a glaze, a ganache, a whipped cream, toast and skin the hazelnuts, make caramel, make nut brittle, make it into praline paste, make a swiss meringue buttercream, make a sugar syrup, torte the cake, use all of the above components to put it all together - along with appropriate waiting, cooling, chilling, wrapping, decorating, etc, etc.

Add on to that trying to make it in a strange kitchen with plenty of challenges (long story short - well, environmental conditions, unknown oven and wrong pan size all contributed to my cake basically falling apart - thus why the layers look so awful and crumbled!).

In other words this was basically a complete process in craziness to make. While I enjoyed the challenge - since I decided to make this at my parents place - they basically thought I was nuts. For two days I just heard "is it done yet?" "You still have to do what??"

So... the analogy that occurred to me as I sat tonight thinking about what I had to say about this cake? Well, it is no secret that pregnancy is not easy for me. I have long believed that women must have some switch in their brain that as soon as you get that sweet baby (or not too long there after) even though the pregnancy itself was (for me anyway) an awful, painful, life threatening experience that I didn't think I would ever be able to or want to repeat - then you find yourself thinking about going through it all over again, because the end result is so worthwhile.

So... while I don't think this cake is near as wonderful as my babies - and I know I couldn't go through making this cake often, its siren song is already calling to me to try again. It really was a delightful new experience to eat (if not entirely to make).

Make sure to check out the amazing creations of all the other Daring Bakers and their adventures.