Nutella and Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Bites

Throughout November and all of autumn I always think of seasonal pumpkin recipes.  Although I've never been fond of pumpkin pie, I do enjoy small pumpkin treats such as pumpkin brownies.  So when I found this recipe for Nutella and Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Bites on my Secret Recipe Club blog, The Spiffy Cookie, I knew that this would be a recipe that I had to try.  Erin's blog is full of wonderful sweet recipes that make your mouth water just from her photos alone.

Most of us have a food love affair going on with Nutella right?  This gooey, chocolate-y, Italian ingredient was the clincher that made this recipe from Erin's blog call out to me to bake.

Did you know that "the original version of Nutella was called "pasta gianduja"?  Pasta means paste and "gianduja", is the name of a carnival character famous to the region.  This was actually made in loaves and wrapped in tinfoil so it could be sliced and placed on bread for mothers to make sandwiches for their children.  But many children would throw away the bread and only eat the pasta gianduja!"
         
"So Mr. Ferrero altered the product into a paste that came in a jar so it could be spread on the bread. This then became known as "supercrema gianduja," because it was a spreadable version of the gianduja. It was eventually renamed "Nutella" in 1964, with the origin of the word being "nut" and the "ella" giving it a soft ending.  Nutella was first imported from Italy to the U.S. over 25 years ago in 1983 and was initially distributed in the Northeastern part of the country.  The popularity of Nutella has grown steadily over the years and it is now available across the United States and sold all over the world."  all quoted excerpts from the "History of Nutella".

Now since I'm a cook that prefers at all times to use up anything that I have in my pantry, I used milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet chocolate for the ganache.  This made the mini cheesecakes a bit sweeter, which is what my family prefers anyway.  We just loved these little mini-desserts and will definitely make them again and again!  Thanks Erin!

These are simply incredible . . . and so neat to be in such small sizes!  Great for a party tray!

Nutella and Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Bites 

8 whole Oreos, finely ground in food processor
1-1/2 Tbsp. butter, melted
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp. Nutella
1/4 cup milk chocolate, melted in 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine ground Oreos and melted butter into a bowl until well combined.
Spoon into 12 mini cheesecake cups that have been sprayed with cooking spray.
Press into the bottom of each cup so the crust is flat.
Partially bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven.
In a stand or electric mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Beat in egg, vanilla, and cinnamon until combined.
Remove approximately a fourth of the cream cheese mixture into a separate bowl. Add the pumpkin to larger, and Nutella to the small half and mix until incorporated.
Pour the pumpkin mixture evenly into the 12 cups filling about 2/3 way full.
Spoon about half a tablespoon of the Nutella mixture into the tops of each filled cup and swirl with a toothpick gently.
Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through.
Let cool completely.
Remove cheesecakes from pan and top each with a spoonful of chocolate ganache and hazelnuts.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Click below to view the blog hop with all of the entries for November!

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Simple, Quiet Nature in the Lowcountry

It seems that there is a need for a little more peace and serenity in our lives.  In all of our busy-ness these are so difficult to experience, especially with the craziness of the holiday season.  I'm a firm believer in taking time to savor the simple silence that nature offers us.  So with that said, here are a few photos of my escape from the calls of the shopping centers and black Friday sales.  We won't be back to the coast until summer and so I thought I'd chronicle some of the blissful beauty by the sea.

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Tortellini in Brodo (Tortellini in Broth) A Northern Italian Classic!

Everyone loves their cherished family traditions, especially for the holidays.  For my family, no holiday would ever be complete without tortellini in broth (tortellini in brodo).  We serve this soup the authentic way from northern Italy, specifically the provence of Emilia-Romagna.  Although tortellini is delightful served in a cream sauce, this is the true northern Italian way to serve it.  My family savors this delicate homemade stuffed pasta in a very American way that differs from how it is served in Italy . . . we fill our bowls with a large quantity of tortellini, whereas in Italy only a small amount of tortelllini float in a large amount of broth.  Why keep going back for seconds when it's already in front of you in your bowl?  Makes sense to me!

We are spending Thanksgiving in a much different way than in the past.  For the first time we are celebrating this holiday on the coast on Hilton Head Island, SC.  The weather is just gorgeous in the 70's to low 80's, with soft breezes and cool evenings.    It really is a wonderful change.  Each day we've been biking and walking the beach.  A perfect way to relax, restore, and ponder on all things that we are grateful for.

This recipe requires several days to prepare; one day to make the pasta and broth, and one day to fill and twist the tortellini.  If you have the time and desire for a true Italian homemade pasta specialty, here is my cherished family recipe for Tortellini in Brodo (Tortellini in Broth):

I found this following bit of Italian food trivia on the Barilla web-site:


"Although tortellini are undoubtedly a food from Emilia, the origin of this famous pasta dish is unclear. One thing is for sure and that is that tortellini are fairly ancient. There is a recipe for tortelli, larger tortellini, that dates back to the 12th century, while the first recipe for tortellini alla Bolognese comes from 1550. From that moment on, tortellini have held a special place in the cuisine of Bologna. 


There are many legends told about this dish: one of the most famous, written by Cerri in the 14th century, recounts that Mars, Bacchus and Venus came down to earth to intervene in the 12th century war between the people of Modena and Bologna. Having arrived at the battle site, the three guests decided to spend the night at an inn in Castelfranco, a small town located in between the two cities. 


According to the legend, in the morning, Bacchus and Mars woke up early to visit the battle site, but when Venus awoke, she thought she had been abandoned by her companions. She immediately called the innkeeper to find out where they had gone. The innkeeper arrived to find the goddess of love naked in front of him. The beauty of her body made such a strong impression on him that he created a new shape of pasta that resembled her belly button!


DID YOU KNOW THAT...


Traditionally, when cooked in broth, 50 tortellini were served per person?"


Thanks Barilla!

Tortellini in Brodo (Tortellini in Broth)

Pasta Dough:

Blend together:

1 - 2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

2 jumbo eggs

2 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. whole milk (this helps the pasta seal together when twisting the tortellini)

1 cup Semolina flour

Blend these six ingredients together very, very well.

Then add:

3/4 cup regular flour (not semolina)

You can mix this the old-fashioned way by making a "bowl" of flour on a wooden block, placing the wet ingredients in the center of the 'flour bowl' and gently add the flour in with a fork until completely mixed, OR you can mix the dough in a food processor until it has the consistency of corn meal. This finished dough should be well blended, but NOT sticky. If it is sticky, cut the dough into 3 sections and add 1 Tbsp. flour to each. If, on the other hand, it is too dry and crumbly, add 1 - 2 tsp. water.

Knead the pasta dough for 2 - 3 minutes. Put into plastic bag and let rest for 30 minutes.

For every egg that you use, it will make about 100 tortellini, therefore this recipe makes 100 tortellini (at the correct size that is).

Tortellini Filling:

1 lb. ground cooked veal, drain the fat and cool slightly

1/4 lb. prosciutto

1/4 lb. mortadella

While the veal is cooking, grind the prosciutto and mortadella in a food processor, only until it is in little pieces -- don't process to much or it will turn into a mushy mess.

Then add this the cooked veal; let it cool a little or the egg that you are about to add will cook and you don't want the eggs to cook.

Add to this whole mixture:

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. (or more to taste) nutmeg

dash of pepper

1 jumbo beaten egg

Continue to add:

1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese

1/3 - 2/3 cups plain bread crumbs

If needed: add 1 - 2 Tbsp. butter

You need to taste throughout the blending process to determine the 'crumbly texture and biting taste'.

Now, let's get the chicken broth going on the stove before you get started rolling the pasta dough out.

Homemade Chicken Broth (Brodo):

Fill a large, tall pot with clean water (I like to use water from my frig that purifies it) with enough room from the top of the pot to put the rest of the ingredients in without overflowing the water.

Put the following in the pot:

One 6-pound chicken (hen)

1 package soup bones (if you can get them)

1 4-pound round bone beef roast

3 carrots, cut in thirds

1 onion, cut in 1/4's

3 celery stalks, cut in thirds

1/4 bunch of Italian parsley

salt

Cook 2 - 3 hours.

Take all ingredients out of the broth with a hand strainer.

With thin tea towels covering a colander/strainer, pour the broth through them into another pot......this is a lot of work and usually needs two people to do this. Be careful, the broth is very hot while you do this. Continue to strain the broth into clean tea towels about two more times until the broth is completely clear and free of any ingredient remains.

Taste, add more salt to taste.

If you make this the night before, refrigerate it, and then the next day, skim off any fat/grease from the top (it will solidify in the frig and be very easy to remove).

Serve with freshly grated Parmigiana cheese

Buon Appetito and Happy Thanksgiving!

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Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cranberry Sauce!

Cranberries:  one of the very few truly native North American fruits.  Cranberries were first given to European settlers from Native Americans, who also taught them how to bake cranberries in breads or mashed with honey or maple syrup for sweetener.  These little round ruby berries are mostly grown in marshes and bogs in the northern region of the U.S. (Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Oregon, New Jersey and Washington).  They're great for including in a healthy lifestyle.

I'm always so happy when cranberries are in season and available in the marketplace (mid-September through November).  Finding a recipe to use cranberries was a natural choice for me for this month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club theme.  Since it was my month to select a theme, "An Autumn Harvest", I knew that the entree recipe had to include cranberries.  Once again, the archives of Cooking Light did not fail in producing a delicious recipe.  Plus this recipe is super easy!

Please check out the host of this monthly food blog event, Val, and her wonderful blog "More Than Burnt Toast".   On her blog you will find the recipe line-up of all the food bloggers who join together (from Canada and the U.S.) every month with cooking/baking recipes from Cooking Light magazine:

Jerry baked a Pear Cake for dessert,
Val made Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa,
MaryAnn prepared Warm White Beans with Roasted Fennel, and
Sandi made a Roasted Acorn Squash with Corn Bread Stuffing.

Mouthwatering recipe titles, don't you think?

Every month the recipes are simply amazing!  I never knew that preparing healthy recipes could taste this good!

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cranberry Sauce

For the Pork:

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Sauce:

1 1/2 cups whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation

To prepare pork, combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag.
Add pork; seal and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Remove pork from bag, discarding marinade.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Add pork; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides.
Place pan in oven; cook at 425° for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
Cut pork into 1/4-inch slices; keep warm.
To prepare sauce, combine cranberry sauce and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
Serve sauce with pork.

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