Nutella Jam Snow Bars-12 Days of Christmas Treats

It is snowing here today so Nutella Jam Snow Bars seem like an appropriate recipe to post.  These are rich, showy cookies on a cookie plate, but the recipe is very versatile.  The jam can be any flavor that you like.  Don’t like Nutella, although people who don’t probably aren’t reading this post, leave it out.

Eggs for cookies are best used at room temperature, but did you know that eggs separate better when they are cold.  It is best, then, to separate the eggs as soon as they are removed from the refrigerator and then let them come to room temperature.  Also, it is best to separate the eggs individually in a small bowl that is not the mixing bowl so that if a yolk breaks it doesn’t contaminate all the egg whites.  Ask me how I how about that one.  Egg shells are so thin nowadays that I prefer to use an egg separator and use a Tupperware one I have had for years.  The cost for a separator is minimal, and I suggest adding one to your kitchen tools if you don’t have one.

I warm both the Nutella and the jam for one to two minutes in the microwave at 50 percent power.  This makes them easier to spread.

Let these pan of cookies cool completely before you try to cut them and then cut with a knife that has been dipped in hot water.  You may have to clean the knife and dip in the hot water more than once.

I have had the recipe for a long time, and I think it originally came from Crisco, but I use butter instead.  The original recipe did not have Nutella, but did have coconut which I did not use this time.

Note:  the photo shows apricot jam, but I used raspberry.  I only had one jar of raspberry so didn't have a jar for the photo

Nutella Jam Snow Bars
3/4 c. butter, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. Nutella
1 1/4 c. jam, flavor of choice (raspberry and apricot are particularly good with Nutella)
1/2 c. sugar

In a mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add salt and egg yolks and beat well.  Stir in flour until dough is well blended.  Turn dough into a foil-lined 9x13-inch baking pan.  Pat and spread out evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, put Nutella in a glass measuring cup and microwave 1 to 2 minutes at 50 percent power, doing 1 minute at a time.  Stir between heatings.  Place jam in a microwave safe dish and microwave 1 to 2 minutes at 50 percent power, doing 1 minute at a time.  Stir until smooth.    Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix until foamy; very gradually add the 1/2 c. sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.  When crust is ready, remove it from the oven and spread evenly with the Nutella using a spatula.  Spread jam over the Nutella.  Spread the beaten egg whites over the jam smoothing evenly.  Return the pan to oven and bake an additional 25 minutes until top just begins to brown.  Remove pan to a wire rack and cool completely.  When cool, cut into bars with a knife that has been dipped in hot water.  You may have to clean and dip the knife in hot water more than once.  Makes 25 bars.  Store in single layers with waxed paper between layers.

Easy Nutella Brownie Bites-SRC Cookie Carnival

Secret Recipe Club is divided into four groups, with a different group posting each Monday of the month.  It has been the policy that group C and D take the month of December and Groups A and B take the month of January off.  This year, Sarah Ellis, the owner, suggested that those who wanted to, participate in a Cookie Carnival recipe swap.  Being the Cookie Monster’s grandmother, I, of course, jumped at the chance to find more cookie recipes.

We were assigned our blogs as usual, but had the additional requirement the we choose, make and post a cookie recipe.  My assigned blog was Food, Baby, Life.  This is an Australian blog started by Susan in 2008.  This may be my first post from a blog outside of the US.  I really appreciate that Susan includes the measurement amounts used here in the US as well as the amounts used by the rest of the world.  I know that there are ways to make the necessary conversions, but it is nice not to have to do that.  Susan’s blog is in a different group from mine so it is a new blog to me.

Since Susan has many recipes on her blog, and we were to chose from the cookie recipes, that is where I spent the bulk of my time there.  I will, however, be back to further check out the other recipes.  Among the cookie recipes that I considered for this post were Sweet and Salty Potato Chip Cookies, White Chocolate Gingerbread and Cranberry, White Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies.

I love Nutella, so when I came across the Easy Nutella Brownie Bites, I knew I had found the recipe I wanted to make.  The cookies were quick and easy and contained Nutella, after all.  I made these twice and will be making them often.  The first time I made the 12 cookies that the original recipe made.  Now I have to say that making only 12 cookies in this house is pretty much not accepted since hubby and I are both cookie lovers.  These cookies had delicious chocolate flavor with a bit of a ooey, gooey center.  There were gone in no time.

Easy Nutella Brownie Bites
from Food, Baby Life
2 eggs
1 c. Nutella Spread
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 heaped c. flour (I used 1/2 c. plus 1T.)
dash salt

Fill a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.  Beat eggs together in a large mixing bowl.  Add Nutella and vanilla and beat until well blended.  Add flour and salt and mix until flour is well incorporated into Nutella mixture.  Spoon evenly into the prepared muffin pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.  Allow to cool (if you can) and remove from muffin pan.  Makes 12.

Since it is the holiday season, I wondered if I could make these in mini muffin tins so that I could get a larger yield.  So I made the recipe again to give that a try and also added 1/3 c. ground hazel nuts to dress the recipe up a little.  I baked these about 8 minutes and got about 42 really mini brownie bites. .

So, if you love Nutella, as I do, make this recipe.  Whether you make 12 or you make 42, I guarantee you will love these.

Thanks, Susan, for a perfect addition to my Christmas cookie trays.

You can find the information about joining Secret Recipe Club here.

For great recipes to add to your cookie recipe collection, check out the links below.

An InLinkz Link-up

Nutella Swirl Peanut Butter Brownies

Welcome to my new followers.  It is so nice to have you here.  Thanks to all who stop by and read this blog.  Hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Well, this thing called life has taken precedence over blogging the last few days (as it should), so I am posting what was supposed to be the Saturday Sweets post today.

I have been making the Peanut Butter Brownie part of this recipe over 40 years.  When our children were growing up, we were very much involved in showing ponies and horses.  We spent many a weekend day at an arena somewhere in the area.  I got the recipe from another horse-and-pony mother who brought them to one of the shows.

Shortening is an ingredient in this recipe.  I try not to use shortening when I can and have tried to substitute butter.  The butter makes a much drier brownie than the shortening so I do use shortening when I make these.

There is a range for the sugar in this recipe.  The original recipe called for the 2 cups.  I have gradually reduced the amount to 1 1/2 cups.  I used 1/2 cup Nutella for the swirl.  I put the Nutella in a glass measuring cup, added 2 t. vegetable oil and microwaved it at 30-second intervals, stirring it between, until it was a thick pouring consistency.

Nutella Swirl Peanut Butter Brownies
1/2 c. shortening
1/4 c. peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
1 1/2-2 c. sugar
3 eggs, room temperature and beaten
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. salted peanuts (optional)
1/2 c. Nutella
2 t. vegetable oil

Melt shortening and remove from heat.  Add peanut butter and stir until melted.  Add sugar and stir until well blended and mixture has cooled slightly.  Add the beaten eggs and mix well.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir into peanut butter mixture until well blended.  Add peanuts if using.  Spread mixture in a foil-lined 9x13-inch baking pan.  Measure Nutella into a glass measuring cup.  Add vegetable oil and microwave for 1 minutes at 50 percent power.  Remove from microwave and stir.  Continue to microwave and stir until Nutella reaches a thick pouring consistency.  Pour the Nutella over the peanut butter dough in a crisscross pattern.  Using a knife draw swirls to incorporate the Nutella into the peanut butter dough.  Bake at 325 degrees 25 to 30 minutes.  Let cool, and remove from pan.  Cut into bars.  Makes about 36 brownies.

Crescent Nutella Jam Palmiers

I like to keep a tube or two of crescent rolls in my fridge.  They are so versatile and can be used to make both sweet and savory recipes.  Today’s Saturday sweet combines crescent rolls, Nutella and jam to make a quick and easy take on the French pastry Palmiers.

I used raspberry jam, but the jam may be any flavor that you like or even orange marmalade.  Sugarless jam can be used.  The Nutella can be replaced by peanut butter, almond butter or any other butter spread that you may choose.  That means that you can use an almost endless combination of spreads and jams to make these.

The palmiers are quick and easy.  You can have this out of the oven and ready to eat in about 20 minutes.

 
Crescent Nutella Jam Palmiers
1 (8 oz.) tube crescent rolls, regular or low-fat
about 1/4 c. Nutella
about 2 T. jam (flavor or choice)

Remove roll dough from tube, place on a piece of parchment paper or foil and separate into 4 rectangles.  Press diagonal perforations together to seal.  Flatten rectangles slightly.  Spread each rectangle with about 1 T. of Nutella and 1/2 T. of jam.  You want the Nutella and jam layers to be thin or the filling will squish out when you roll them.  Roll the  long edges of each the rectangles jelly-roll fashion toward the center so they will meet.  With a very sharp knife cut each rectangle into 9 slices.  Carefully transfer to a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 11 minutes.  Carefully remove from pan.  For a fancier cookie, drizzle with a little vanilla glaze.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Makes 3 dozen bite-size palmiers.

Linking to these great Parties:
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Ingredient Spotlight-Nutella-Banana Smoothie

If you have been reading this blog, you know that my new go-to breakfast drink is a Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie from This Chick Cooks.

The other day I decided to change it up and use Nutella instead of peanut butter.  So this is my adaptation of Katie’s recipe.  The Nutella will not completely dissolve, so there will be little flecks of chocolate in the smoothie.

With the other ingredients in it, my mini food processor doesn’t do well with a whole cup of milk so I process this in two steps.  In the first step, I combine the banana, Nutella and about 3/4 cup milk.  I pour that into my glass, add about 1/2 cup more milk to the food processor and process that.  I pour that into the first mixture.  Doing two steps also helps to get every little bit of goodness out of the food processor and into my glass.

Nutella Banana Smoothie
Adapted from Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie from This Chick Cooks

1 frozen banana, sliced
2-3 T. Nutella, as desired
1 1/4 c. milk, divided

Place the banana, Nutella, and 3/4 c. milk in a mini food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into a glass.  Add 1/2 c. milk to the food processor and process briefly.  Add to smoothie mixture in glass and mix well with a spoon.  Drink and enjoy.  Serves 1.

Linking to:  Ingredient Spotlight
Whisking Wednesdays
These Chicks Cooked
Foodie Wednesday