Nutella Espresso Mousse

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day! I know a lot of people think this is a Hallmark holiday, but it is nonetheless a great day to show that special person in your life how much you love them. And what better way to show that, than in the form of food, by making a dinner at home from scratch rather than going out. We always stay home, but that is because Valentine's Day is also my husbands birthday. I always cook him a special by request meal and tomorrow will be no different. He picked a wonderful authentic German meal for his birthday dinner and he could not be more excited about it. If you are a fan of my facebook page you know I have already spilled the beans of what I'm cooking. The recipes will certainly be featured soon. Anyway, I'm sure a lot of you already have your dinner plans for tomorrow firmed up as well, but if you are still looking for that final touch without a lot of fuss, then look no further.

Sometimes we tend to "over-think" desserts when in reality, simple can just be as effective and tasty. I had it in my head that I wanted to feature a chocolate mousse. After looking through some of my cookbooks I knew I didn't want to mess with raw eggs in my recipe that many versions suggested. I was looking for something simpler. I also wanted to kick up the flavors so instead of chocolate I decided I was going to use Nutella. Trying to think of ways to enhance the hazelnut flavor, Frangelico liqueur was my logical choice and to take it just a step further I figured espresso powder would harmonize with the mousse as well. For the espresso powder I have come to love the Starbucks Via packets. They pack a lot of flavor and incorporate beautifully into wet or dry ingredients.

This recipe literally does not get much easier and with only a handful of ingredients it won't break the bank either. Heavy Cream, a Starbucks Via packet, Frangelico liqueur and of course the star of this concoction; Nutella. The ingredients get mixed with a handmixer until everything comes together and the mixture forms soft peaks. Fill into your favorite dessert glasses and chill for a few hours in the refrigerator. Before serving, you can top the mousse with additional whipped cream or simply place some fruit on top. Easy, yet elegant, and the flavor is amazing! It tastes rich, full of chocolate with a hint of coffee. Even my non-chocolate loving husband gave this one the thumbs up. Think of this one as a chocolate pudding for grown-ups and spoil your special someone with this recipe tomorrow, he or she might thank you later ;o)

Nutella Espresso Mousse
(A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original) 
~makes 4 servings~

(Printable Version)

Ingredients:
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 Starbucks Via Italian Roast Packet (1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder will work also)
 2 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur (Kahlua would be wonderful as well)
3/4 cup Nutella
Whipped Cream and Berries for topping (optional)

Preparation:
Combine heavy cream and espresso powder in a medium mixing bowl. Stir together. Add Frangelico and Nutella. Beat with an electric mixer 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and continue beating until soft peaks form. At this point the mousse is very soft/loose, but will firm up once chilled. Divide the mixture into the serving dishes of your choice and chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
If desired, top with additional whipped cream or berries just before serving.

Ice Cream Fridays: Nutella Ice Cream with Frangelico

Welcome to another edition of Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday during the next few months (or until I get tired of it) you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see. Who knows, you might just get lucky and it will be featured the following week.

Since July is National Ice Cream month, which was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, lots and lots of ice cream recipes have been popping up all over the blog world. At least once a day, I will have one ice cream recipe made by one of the blogs I read pop up. Trying to come up with different flavors is actually becoming harder and harder. You can find any and everything from plain vanilla and chocolate to the very fancy ice creams, some even containing basil, lavender or other exotic flavorings, on all kinds of blogs.

So this week I decided to keep it easy and simple, and make a quick ice cream that did not require me to turn on my stove, which right now with temperatures well over 110 degrees, is a welcome relief. A blender is all you need for this ice cream. I was looking all over the place for a good recipe including one of my all-time favorites: Nutella. If you have never had it, you're missing out big time on this delectable chocolate hazelnut cream that originated in Italy. I couldn't settle on one single recipe, so I decided to combine a few that I found, and make it my own. One of the recipes called for vodka, but being the "rebel" that I am I decided to use a liqueur that I thought would complement this ice cream so much better, hence the Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur.

The ingredients are simply put in a blender, mixed up and then chilled for a while in the refrigerator before churning them in an ice cream maker. 

The result; a most wonderful creamy ice cream that reminded me a lot of gianduja gelato, which is one of my all-time favorites. This ice cream was so good, I could easily eat it every day. Even my chocolate hating husband was in love with this one, and that to me is the best compliment ever.

If you are as excited about Nutella as I am, then this ice cream is most definitely a requirement to make!

Nutella Ice Cream with Frangelico

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Nutella

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups milk (I used 1 %)

2-3 tablespoons Frangelico

Preparation:

In a blender add the Nutella, sugar, heavy cream, milk, and Frangelico. Mix until well blended. Refrigerate mixture for about 3 hours, or until well chilled.

Churn ice cream according to your ice cream manufacturer's directions.

Freeze for 4 hours before serving.

Molten Lava Cakes with Frangelico and Nutella Centers

A mix between a flour-less chocolate cake, a souffle and a pudding, molten lava cakes are the epitome of decadence for me. As an admitted chocoholic it doesn't get much better then this but I figured why not try and take this classic dessert, which appears to have been invented in France, and take it over the top.

What better way to do so, then adding Nutella and one of my favorite liqueurs, Frangelico into the mix.

Essentially all molten lava cakes are composed of 4 main ingredients: chocolate, butter, eggs and sugar. What flavorings or centers one may add is up to each persons creativity and the possibilities are endless. I hope you'll give my version a try and let me know how it turned out.

Molten Lava Cakes with Frangelico and Nutella Centers

~serves 4~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

11 tablespoons unsalted Butter

4 ounces Ghirardelli 60 % Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar

2 ounces Ghirardelli Semi-sweet Chocolate Baking Bar

2 tablespoons Frangelico (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)

3 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

8 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons Nutella

1/4 cup Hazelnuts, chopped

Strawberry Sauce (optional), recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and center oven rack. Spray 4 small ramekins with cooking spray to coat evenly. 

Place butter and chocolate into a double boiler and allow to melt completely over the steaming water. Stir frequently. After the chocolate and butter are melted take them off the heat and add the Frangelico (if kids are eating, the liqueur can be replaced with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract), stir to combine.

Place eggs and sugar into the bowl of your mixer. With the whisk attachment, mix on medium-high speed until they become light in color and thick (about 8-9 minutes). After the eggs and sugar are at the right consistency, add the flour and mix together. Pour the chocolate-butter very slowly into the egg mixture, mixing on low until well combined and a sheen develops (about 5-6 minutes).

Place your prepared ramekins onto a cooking sheet. Ladle the chocolate batter halfway up the side of each dish. Spoon 1 tablespoon of Nutella on top of the batter in each bowl. Add the remainder of the batter on top of the Nutella in each ramekin, being careful not to overfill.

Bake ramekins for 12-14 minutes or until the outside is solid and the top appears to be soft and doesn't jiggle anymore.

After the cakes are baked, remove them from the oven,  and carefully place a plate on top of each one and quickly invert it. With a kitchen towel, remove the ramekin; the cake should fall right out.

Garnish the cakes with the chopped hazelnuts and the strawberry sauce (optional).

Serve immediately. 

They also taste great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.

Strawberry Sauce:

8 ounces (about 12 medium) Strawberries, fresh or frozen

1 - 2 tablespoons sugar

Place strawberries in food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Add as much or little sugar as needed based on sweetness of berries. Stir, and set aside.