Paleo 'Nutella' Fudge Squares (minus the Nutella)

I haven't posted a recipe since December! How did that happen? In honor of World Nutella Day (yes, weird, I didn't know it existed either but today's the day, apparently), I have a special offering for you. And because I like to be a rebel about these things, these are 'Nutella' Fudge Squares... without any Nutella in them! Yayy! (But I promise they taste just like Nutella.) Oh, and they happen to be paleo, if that matters to you. And, they will melt in your mouth in a rather delightful way. There.

When I lived in Mexico as an exchange student many moons ago in my university days, I had a housemate who was Nutella-obsessed. It was nearly impossible to find Nutella in our little village and every time someone would visit from back home, he would beg them to stuff a few jars of Nutella in their suitcase. I once saw him polish off a jar in 24 hours flat.

I've always loved Nutella (who doesn't) but I don't really buy or trust most processed foods, I'm more of a DIY-er. Which makes me either a reaaallly boring person, or an interesting person, depending on who you ask. At any rate, there are many, many wonderful recipes online for making your very own homemade Nutella. I recommend this one. But for this recipe, you don't even need to make Nutella, or rather, you sort of do, but the 'Nutella' mix that you make quickly hardens into solid silk that you can cut into squares. That's right, solid silk. (That's actually what these should be called).

These are dead easy to make (essentially 3 ingredients), no baking involved, and the advantage to not using Nutella is that you can control what goes in them. For instance, I like to use organic ingredients and limit the sugar content in my sweets. That said, don't be fooled, these squares should be eaten in moderation, they're pretty decadent! So here goes...

'NUTELLA' FUDGE SQUARES (WITH NO NUTELLA)
Makes 8 to 10 squares

2/3 cup hazelnut butter (you can find this at most health food stores, or you can make your own!)
1/4 cup coconut oil (for this recipe, I like to use the organic refined kind that doesn't have a coconutty taste, but this is a matter of personal taste, extra virgin works fine too)
6 oz. good quality dark chocolate
1 pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)

Chop the chocolate into pieces. In a double boiler (or a metal bowl placed over a pot of simmering hot water), melt the chocolate completely and remove from heat. Place your jar of coconut oil in the hot water and once the coconut oil has liquified a bit, pour out 1/4 cup. Add that to the chocolate. Now add the hazelnut butter, salt, and vanilla. Whisk well, until silky smooth. Taste the mixture and if you wish, add a little more salt, vanilla, or even honey or agave nectar if you think it needs a bit more sweetness. 

Pour into an 8.5 x 4.5" loaf pan that is lined with parchment with an overhang so you can lift out the whole thing easily. Pour the chocolate into the pan and sprinkle on the chopped hazelnuts. Allow the whole thing to rest in a cool place for at least 3 hours, at room temperature should be fine. (Though if your kitchen is very warm, and the block doesn't harden enough to slice cleanly, you can place the pan in fridge for an 15 minutes before slicing). Remove the whole chocolate block once it has hardened and cut into squares. Enjoy!

PS: Store these in the fridge or a cold pantry. These will get all melty if they are kept in a warm place.

My 10 favorite winter things

Things have been a little quiet around here lately, I suppose I'm in blog-hibernation mode. I hope you'll forgive me. You've probably heard this from me a million times since I started this blog, but... I'm working on my thesis. I really am this time, and I plan to finish it THIS YEAR. There. I said it. Now I have to do it. 

So. I'll be doing a little less blogging than usual this winter, and also slowing down the monthly giveaways to a more occasional surprise every now and then. That way I can devote my full attention to the mountain of work ahead. So now that I'm all bunkered down with my computer and tapes and hard drives in this quiet little pocket of Nova Scotia, and winter has enveloped us in its long endless embrace, I really really (really!) do not have any excuse for not getting down to work and getting this blasted thesis done, once and for all. Though let's be honest, I'll need tiny distractions to keep me sane along the way: wintery comforts to keep me going on those days when it's frigid outside and all I want to do is throw my computer out the window and fly to a Mexican beach until spring comes. Maybe you're feeling the urge too? As we plunge into February (my most dreaded month of the year), some of my latest little winter pleasures are what I wanted to share with you today. 

1. First thing is my current snack du jour: walnuts dipped in buckwheat honey. Simple divine instant energy boost for sluggish afternoons.

2. Second on my list of recent wintery pursuits: marvelling at the ice patterns on window panes. Hours. Of. Fun. 

3. Knitting! Legwarmers! From this free pattern! (And slowly working my way through my pinterest knitting board). Also, this wool is making me drool. (The knitting ideally takes place while  simultaneously watching Downton Abbey. Yes, that's my idea of a hot winter date).

4. This wintery album from Montreal-based Folly and The Hunter is perfect for sipping a hot drink by the fire.

5. The Lehman's catalogue. A homesteader's dream come true. How is it that no one ever told me about this before?

5. Sn'ice cream!!? Whaaaatt?! Ice cream made with actual snow. Pure magic from one of my favorite food bloggers.

6. Ami McKay's book, The Birth House is keeping me up til 2 in the morning these days. So good!

7. Ok this 'polar vortex' song killed me.



8. I've been coveting these moccasins which are hand-made in Labrador

9. On dreary days, there are these exquisite photos by Russian photographer Elena Shumilova to fall in love with, over and over again.

10. Telephone pictionary. I almost peed my pants laughing so hard. If you've got a group of 5 people or more at your house (the more people the better), please play this game, you won't regret it and all you need is some paper and pens. It's a perfect winter's eve game, and guaranteed it'll have you in stitches.


And finally, this might be an opportune time to announce I'm on instagram! Still a newbie and figuring out how to use it (forgive me if I'm a little filter-happy) but if you'd like to follow my daily adventures, I'm @kitchenvignettes

I'd love to hear about your own wintery delights in the comments below. What keeps you going through this season?

January Giveaway: From The Wood-Fired Oven

Happy New Year dear ones! This month, I've got a special treat for you to start off this year with a bang. Are you ready to cook with fire?

One of my resolutions for 2014 involves several challenges, the ultimate end goal being to produce one truly kick-ass loaf of wood-fired sourdough bread. Well. Hopefully more than one. But I would be quite content with a single life-changing loaf. The kind with a golden crunchy crust, a moist and chewy crumb with those marvellous bubbles of air that butter so delightfully melts and seeps into. So far, I've managed several bricks. Tasty, somewhat handsome, probably very nutritious little bricks, mind you, but bricks nonetheless. I am still in the early stages of experimenting with sourdough in my kitchen oven and I have my work cut out for me.

One of the key components to achieving my resolution will be to build my own wood-fired oven. Something I learned how to do at this year's Kneading Conference, but have yet to execute. Then, it would be rather nice to learn how to use that oven properly. I know that will come with time, patience, and practice. But there's something else that is going to be indispensable in this adventure with fire. It's The Bible. The wood-fired baker's bible that is. Richard Miscovich's From The Wood-Fired Oven.

This book is an epic oeuvre. Or as a friend who was leafing through the book exclaimed, "this book is hard-core!" Indeed. It's the kind of book that I know will inevitably become tattered and worn (the highest praise that can ever be showered on a book) from a lifetime of consulting it. It really is the ultimate reference for anyone interested in learning how to cook with a wood-fired oven. 

Photo of the author by JonathanBeller.Com

And while I know this book will help me achieve the wood-fired sourdough loaf of my dreams, let's be clear, we're not only talking about bread here. You see, Richard Miscovich is a genius, and he shows us how to use a wood-fired oven to its fullest potential. That is to say, aside from outstanding pizzas and breads (which are certainly not overlooked), the book opens up a whole world of mouth-watering concoctions that (who would have ever known) can be prepared in a wood-fired oven. Everything from braised vegetables to baked beans to beef jerky to dried herbs and infused oils. The secret is in learning how to use of the oven's whole range of temperatures from its peak heat to its slow cool-down. If you love cooking with fire, or have ever been curious about it, you must own this book, no way around it.

Photo by Richard Miscovich

So for all you wood-firing lovers, be sure to enter this month's giveaway which is kindly sponsored by the amazing folks at Chelsea Green Publishing. (Only residents of the United States are eligible for this one). Bonne chance!

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