Chocolate Hazelnut Swirled Bread

Thick yeasty bread filled with a homemade chocolate and hazelnut spread? Count me in. When I saw this recipe on Maple Spice, I knew it was only a matter of time before it went into my oven. I enjoyed this bread for breakfast for a few mornings. Due to the minimal sugar in the bread and the lack of sugar in the nutella spread I made, it actually wasn't a sweet bread. It was just rich and complex and super filling. However, I am sure if you used a store bought chocolate hazelnut bread, it would be much sweeter. You could also add a bit more sugar to the bread dough if you are hoping to eat it as a dessert rather than a breakfast (but what really is the difference these days).
I very loosely followed the no-tella recipe in Veganomicon. I basically pureed hazelnuts with cocoa powder and a bit of vanilla extract and canola oil until it was smooth enough to spread on the dough. I am sure that if you actually used hazelnut or peanut oil and added the recommended sugar that it would be even more phenomenal. Also, I baked this bread in a bundt cake pan than already doesn't get enough use. I don't have an angel food cake pan, because vegan angel food cake is still sort of a mystical thing. I didn't have any problems with the bread sticking to all the indentations once the pan had been floured.


I was really excited to use those rose tea cups & plates. I have been having a ton of wonderful thrift luck lately. Last week I found, the tea cup & saucer and a bundle of saucers that all very loosely matched the tea cup for just a dollar. Recently I have also found all sorts of wonderful vintage napkins and bakeware that I can't justify spending twenty dollars on but have no problem grabbing for a dollar or two. I even found a few more vintage mason jars at a shop called Jinxed when I was in Philadelphia this weekend. I thrift pretty regularly but often forget to document my finds. Sometimes it's nice seeing how beautifully everything pairs together.

Nutella Truffles

I had really great intentions of posting three times this week. I had everything baked and photographed by Saturday. All I had to do was write something. And then the Thanksgiving rush started. For the last five days I have worked between ten to twelve hours everyday. The last three days have been go time. My two assistants and I managed to bake around five hundred loaves of breads, three hundred pies, eighty tarts, and seventy six pounds of cornbread!! Last night, as soon as I got home from baking all day, I got a call telling me that one of the stores was already sold out of pumpkin pie. I managed to restock it all this afternoon, but I am not quite sure how long it will last. Thanksgiving is a wild time in the baking business.
So if you have had a hectic work week, are traveling pretty far, or maybe you're just waiting until the day of, then I have something you could whip up pretty easily. These truffles aren't too challenging, all you need is a little time management. You basically melt the chocolate, let it cool for 2 hours, roll the truffles, and voila! You could use whatever chocolate hazelnut spread you can find. Justin's is generally my first choice, but I have heard a lot of praise for Rawtella lately! If you want a more appealing look you could use finer chopped hazelnuts, but I prefer the texture the course ones add.


Nutella Truffles
veganized from My Baking Addiction

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons Earth Balance
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
3/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon hazelnut extract (optional)
3/4 cup hazelnuts

Using a double broiler, melt the Earth Balance, coconut milk, & chocolate hazelnut spread. Whisk frequently until the mixture is fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat and add extracts. Pour into a shallow pan and allow to cool for two hours. Using a tiny scoop or spoon, portion out truffle center and roll quickly into a ball. Roll in chopped hazelnuts, and allow to chill for another ten minutes to firm back up from working the chocolate.

Nutella Stuffed Cookies

Almost a month ago I found a jar of accidentally vegan nutella. I knew I wanted to make with the other half of the jar, but I had to keep it around for a little longer. Just to savor it. I know I can make more now that it's gone, but sometimes I have a bit of problem with kitchen hoarding. As a child I had a play kitchen, and unbeknownst to my mother, I used that kitchen to store cookies and chocolate and all sorts of treats. My secret wasn't revealed until my baby sister found the chocolate, sat down and covered herself & her white dress in it. Sometimes when I open my cupboards I still see that pattern. The visible items tend to be vegan marshmallows, a pound bar of chocolate, waffle cone bowls, and maybe a can of soup peaking through if it's a good week.
So I finally broke the spell and finished the jar. While nutella swirled blondies were good, nutella stuffed cookies were infinitely better! I used a recipe from Cookin' Canuck for guidance, and veganized it by just subbing in Earth Balance and Ener-G. I felt it was fairly reliable as it pretty closely resembled the recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough I use. I was not disappointed. The cookies were soft and chewy, with the nutella staying melted even hours after they had cooled. They were rapidly consumed at a friends birthday party, which leads me to believe that I need to break out my stash of hazelnuts hidden somewhere in that cupboard. There have been several nutella recipes floating around the internet. It's basically just pureeing toasted hazelnuts with either melted chocolate or cocoa powder. If you don't feel like winging it, then I think Chocolate Covered Katie's recipe might be a good place to start.
Rolling the cookies in sugar gave them a wonderful exterior, so I recommend splurging on it this once. Also don't forget to add the salt! It really makes these cookies special. I also gave the cookies a few grinds of pink sea salt while they were still warm to amp up the sweet & salty combo.


Do you find yourself storing away special foods that you can't bear to finish off yet? I can't be the only one who does this. I do at meals too. I have always saved my favorite foods for the last few bites of the meal. Except for when I eat leftover cupcakes for breakfast, that's just starting the day off right.