Nutella Crunch Treats

As I was sitting in my kitchen trying to get inspired for dinner, but instead snacking on Vanilla Almond Cluster Cereal straight out of the box, I thought to myself: This is delicious. This is really delicious. This is like eating candy out of a box delicious.

Then I really got into it: I wonder what this would taste like dipped in Nutella. Because of course I was thinking about BATF. And then it hit me: Make a bar out of this stuff dipped in Nutella. Then it hit me again: Make it like Rice Krispie Treats with a Nutella topping!!!

In a matter of seconds I designed an amazing dessert (breakfast?) out of hunger. I can do amazing things on a empty stomach.

You make these Nutella Crunch Treats exactly like Rice Krispie Treats but use vanilla granola instead of Rice Krispies:  

1/2 stick butter

1 10 oz bag of marshmallows

1 16 oz box of TJ's Vanilla Almond Granola Cereal

1 13 oz jar of Nutella 

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add a couple heaping spoonfuls of Nutella and the marshmallows. Stir until melted together. Add granola, stir until well coated. Transfer to baking dish and press. Let cool for about an hour. Then top with a layer of Nutella spread. Makes about a dozen squares.

The result: First off, I'm kind of a Nutella purist. I like to eat it straight out of the jar and I generally think the other stuff ruins it. (I did have a Nutella crepe once at a food fair and that was good.) I think it's funny how they have a piece of white bread on the Nutella jar, like that's a good combo. Gross. Anyway, so I had high hopes for this but not high expectations. And IT DELIVERED! Wow. ALL MY NUTELLA DREAMS COME TRUE! My little stroke of genius was surely inspired.

PS: After dipping my finger in the melting marshmallow/butter/Nutella goodness, I realized Nutella would also be genius in a s'more. You're welcome.

Pumpkin Biscoff Bread with Biscoff Glaze

I was thrilled when Missy announced this month's ingredient was sweet spreads because I have two jars of Biscoff spread in my pantry! I ordered them from Amazon to make a cookie recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod and wasn't quite sure what to do with the rest of it (well besides eat it by the spoonful straight from the jar). But it didn't take me long to find a fall inspired recipe to try!

Biscoff spread is made from Biscoff cookies and has a sweet cinnamon flavor. If you don't have Biscoff spread at your local grocery store, I'm sure Trader Joe's cookie butter would do the trick for the purpose of this recipe.

This fully loaded pumpkin bread is really good with a smear of cream cheese on it!

Pumpkin Biscoff Bread with Biscoff Glaze 
recipe adapted from Love From The Oven and King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

2 Cups Flour
1 1/4 cups Oatmeal 
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 tbsp Cinnamon
2+ tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (I used a little less)
1/4 cup Flax Seed Meal (optional)
1 tsp Salt
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups Canned Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2/3 cup Oil (or applesauce) 
1/2 cup Biscoff Spread
2/3 cup water
2 tsp vanilla
2 Eggs
2 Egg Whites
Walnuts or pecans as desired

Directions: 

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease two bread loaf pans.

Combine all dry ingredients in bowl and stir to combine.

Combine all wet ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

Mix wet and dry ingredients until combined - do not over mix.

Pour mixture into two loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper. 

Bake both loaves together for approx 50-65 minutes or until knife inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

Drizzle Biscoff glaze over each loaf. 

Biscoff Glaze 

4 tablespoons Biscoff spread
4 tablespoons milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar
pinch of salt

Stir the glaze ingredients over low heat until soft and creamy. Spread over your pumpkin loaves. 

October Ingredient: Sweet Spreads

Let me explain.

My Pinterest keeps blowing up with tempting Nutella recipes that I keep swearing I'm going to try one of these days. And I recently discovered Cookie Butter at Trader Joe's that I keep swearing I'm going to bake cookies with. Not to mention, TJ's has its own chocolate almond spread I have yet to try. And Emily recently sent me some delicious-looking recipes for how to use Biscoff Spread. 

So here's the deal: I'm going to make good on trying a recipe using a sweet spread this month, and I'm challenging the Beauties to do the same. The rules are this: It has to be a sweet (ish) spread generally likened to peanut butter. So no cheese spreads, tapenades, hummus, savory spreads, etc. I want to satisfy this sweet tooth!

Are you up for it?

This should be me holding a jar of Nutella bigger than my head.