Nutella Frosted Cupcakes

When I saw this recipe on Baking Bites, I knew I just had to make it. Actually, I saw this recipe many, many months ago and never got around to making it, but in keeping with the promise I made to my lonesome jar of Nutella to use him up this weekend, I was sold on both the ease of this recipe and the picture. I mean, look at that picture!!! Who wouldn't want to make these???

Nicole's description of "tender, rich and very, very tasty" sums these cupcakes up perfectly. These would be really easy to transport to any kind of get-together like a picnic or BBQ because the frosting is baked in.

These are fantastic. Stop reading this post and go make them. Pronto!!!

Nutella Frosted Cupcakes

Seen on Baking Bites
Adapted from Donna Hay

10 T. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
Nutella, approximately 1/3 cup

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Don't worry if the batter doesn't look smooth. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and baking powder until batter is uniform and no flour remains. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin liner with batter. They should be 3/4 full, if you're not using a scoop. Top each cake with 1 1/2 tsp. Nutella. Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the Nutella. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

 

 

Four (or five) ingredients to YUM!!!

My sad little jar of Nutella was begging for me to use him this weekend, and I graciously agreed to grant his holiday weekend wish.

I found this recipe on Recipe Goldmine and decided to tweak it a little. I halved the original recipe and tweaked the ingredient amounts (I added an additional tablespoon of both Nutella and Arborio rice and left out the dried cherries/dried cranberries).

SO simple. SO delicious. It will SO will be repeated again...soon!!!

Nutella Rice Pudding

Adapted from Recipe Goldmine

3 cups 2% milk, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 T. Nutella
1 cinnamon stick (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Arborio rice (do not substitute or pudding will not thicken)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat an 8x8-inch glass or metal (not aluminum) pan with vegetable oil spray.

Over medium heat, whisk together 2 cups milk and the Nutella in a heavy-bottom 2-quart saucepan. Add cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Stir in Arborio rice and transfer to prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes, stirring every 8 to 10 minutes.

Add remaining 1 cup milk, combining well, and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer, stirring every 8 to 10 minutes, or until pudding has thickened and rice is soft. Remove cinnamon stick, if using, and cool 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve warm or cover and refrigerate. (I spooned the pudding into 4 individual ramekins and let them cool to room temperature before covering them with plastic wrap and putting them in the refrigerator overnight to thicken to the consistency I wanted to achieve.)

If desired, sprinkle with cinnamon-dusted whipped cream. (Desire it!!! It really adds a nice finishing touch to the pudding.)

Mindy’s notes: I used a cinnamon stick instead of 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon because I wanted a more subtle cinnamon flavor. Also, make sure you stir this every 8 to 10 minutes to prevent the rice from sticking together and to keep a skin from forming. If you plan to serve this warm, I would add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of Arborio rice so it is a little bit thicker. I refrigerated it overnight and the consistency the next day was perfect, but right out of the oven and after sitting, it was still a bit runny. Adding an additional tablespoon or two of the rice would firm the pudding up to a thicker consistency right out of the oven.