Nutella Espresso Rolls

I sat down to write this post a half dozen times, deleting the words once I recognized the meaning wasn't exactly what I wanted to express. The first rendition took on a serious tone, the second became an anecdote, the third a thoughtful observation. Yet, none of them communicated what I really wanted to say, which is you should make this recipe and soon. Though it is not usually in my nature to make bold statements, today I am making an exception. The truth is that these Nutella Espresso Rolls are easily one of the best dishes to come out of my kitchen. Ever.

I would never lie to you, dear friends.

As a recipe developer, there are often several iterations a recipe goes through before I deem it good enough to share with you. While two iterations seems to be standard (with three or more sliding into second place), a single iteration is a rarity. These recipes are the four leaf clovers of the recipe development world, where modifications and tweaks happen ad infinitum.

In my own kitchen, I stumble across these rare gems perhaps once or twice a year, reveling in the moment before taking a fork after the sweet treat.

Since my recent discovery of nutella, it has become a “banned” ingredient in the apartment because it has a tendency to disappear in a few blinks of the eye. However, the lack of nutella in the cupboards doesn't stop me from thinking about it. While recently browsing recipes online, I spotted a roll filled with chocolate. Running with the idea, I made the idea my own, filling the rolls with nutella and the subtle flavor of espresso.

After pulling the rolls out from the oven, piping hot and steaming, my boyfriend declared them one of the best things he's ever eaten. I agreed. I think you will, too.

Nutella Espresso Rolls will leave you scraping the plate clean and wishing for more. The dough is made with espresso powder, which lends a subtle coffee flavor to the finished product. Spread with nutella and brown sugar, the dough is rolled up, sliced, and baked. When hot from the oven, the nutella becomes melted and gooey, given a unique texture from the brown sugar. These rolls are easy to make and are sinfully delicious. Make these for holidays, for friends and family, or just because it’s Monday—you won’t be disappointed.

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Dill Dinner Rolls

The weather has been moody lately, unpredictable in its temperamental swings. The days are hot and humid; the oppressive heat makes me want to sit by the neighborhood pool and eat ice cream until I join the ice cream in melting at the bottom of the pint. The evening skies have an ominous gaze, as heavy clouds gather overhead and the wind begins to sway the tree branches—a punishment for the warm weather. The nights are filled with rumbling and flashing lights, with rain that floods the sidewalks and streets and leaves a ticker of weather warnings scrolling across the bottom of the television screen.

Summer can be a temptress, charming by day and wicked by night.

In the morning, as the previous night's rain begins to clear and the sun is still hiding behind the clouds, it feels like baking weather. Perhaps only the gray clouds can convince me to turn on the oven. Though the yeast in my refrigerator has been ignored for the bounty of summer berries, after an Italian dinner and an incredible loaf of bread, I couldn't resist pulling it out to play around with it again.

With the workout my grill has been getting so far this summer, I wanted to create a bread that would go well with all the roasted potatoes, vegetables, and corn on the cob that was coming off the grill.

Dill has long been one of my favorite herbs. After the countless dill pickles enjoyed on sandwiches and eaten straight from the jar, the herb left a positive impression on me. It wasn't unusual for me to fill an ice tray with leftover dill pickle juice to freeze into popsicles for later. While I've already played around with using dill in cheddar biscuits, I wanted this bread to be a little more adaptable.

This bread is basic recipe that you can customize, if you so choose. While I loved them plain and straight from the pan, you could throw in a bit of cheddar, spread them with cream cheese, or use the rolls to soak up a rich gravy.

Dill Dinner Rolls are made with fresh dill which adds a bright flavor. The bread is spiced with salt and pepper and the addition of olive oil adds a smooth, rich aroma. The bread dough is easy to work with and rises effortlessly. The rolls are baked together in a round pan, making them easy to pull apart to serve. With a spread of cream cheese, the light herb rolls make a lovely accompaniment to a summer meal roasted on the grill.

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Nutella Swirled Banana Bread

I've had quite the tumultuous relationship with Nutella. Since discovering I was highly allergic to tree nuts back in high school, I have been careful—and lucky—to avoid most incidents. While almonds are perfectly fine for me to eat (thank goodness), other tree nuts have been labeled with a big "Do Not Eat" sticker. My diagnosis has never bothered me too much and I rarely feel as if I am missing out. It wasn't until I moved to England when studying abroad that I experienced my first pang of tree nut jealousy.

When my friends all discovered Nutella for the first time, it quickly became a forbidden fruit in my eyes.

In the cool English winter, many an evening was spent around the kitchen stove, laughing and joking, as a jar of Nutella was passed from spoon to spoon. I would often stand off to the side with a glass of water, alternating between great interest and wariness at the jar in their hands. Eventually, my curiosity took over and I could no longer stand in the sidelines. As the jar of Nutella was ritually passed around the circle, this time I made certain it would make a stop at me. When I found the jar in my hands for the first time (and several concerned faces pointed my direction), I cradled the container in my hands, lifted it towards my nose, and breathed in the wonderful scent.

My friends would later affectionately refer to this regular practice as "huffing Nutella." My rationale was that if I couldn't eat it, at the very least I should be able to smell it.

It wasn't until I had an accidental encounter with Nutella (in which I unknowingly ate a slice of cake enclosed in a layer of it) and nothing bad happened that my curiosity for it was taken to another level. I knew I was seriously allergic to tree nuts, but if almonds could be an exception to the rule, was it possible for hazelnuts to do the same? It was several years later before I found myself and a jar of Nutella in the same room and I could give my theory a test. Though I do not recommend taking the risk I did to anyone for any reason, my experiment had a happy conclusion. Though I still rarely buy or steal a spoonful of Nutella from the jar just in case, a sale sign at the grocery started a chain of events that led to this swirled banana bread.

Though it has taken a long time to reach this point, I think you'll agree that it was worth the wait.

Nutella Swirled Banana Bread is the culmination of five years of daydreaming about Nutella while baking. A basic banana bread recipe is elevated by dark swirls of Nutella. Instead of being folded in the batter, the Nutella is melted and drizzled directly through the batter which lends pockets of gooey Nutella in the final product. Despite the large Nutella swirls, the bread rises and holds together well; the secret inside is only revealed when the first slice is cut.

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