Dessert By Candy

Nutella Banoffee Cream Pie

When it comes to Nutella-inspired dessert, restraint is the last thing on my mind. My contribution to last year’s Nutella Day was fun and whimsical in the form of icebox cake and buckeyes. This year, I want a rich and totally over-the-top cream pie. I took inspiration from the ever popular Nutella and banana crepe. Add in a bit of British influence from banoffee pie, my Nutella Banoffee Cream Pie is born.

Thanks to Ms Adventures in Italy, Bleeding Espresso for hosting another edition of World Nutella Day, I have an excuse to feed my Nutella obsession. This Nutella Banoffee Cream Pie starts with a buttery pie crust with a hint of crunchy graham cracker crumbs. It is filled with a thick layer of Nutella and a smooth layer of caramel banana cream cheese filling. It is crowned with billowy Chantilly cream and studded with banana slices and hazelnuts. The sweetness of Nutella is offset by the mildly tangy cream cheese. At the same time, the complex caramel undertone highlights a taste more sophisticated than plain sugary sweetness. I especially love the change in texture from crunchy to sticky to creamy to airy. This dessert is not for the faint of heart.

Who Doesn’t Eat Quiche?

Sometimes I wonder how our culture arbitrarily assigns gender stereotypes to food, of all things. Obviously I’m guilty of categorizing girly food and manly food too. But “real men eat quiche”? I really don’t see how quiche deserves this unjust stereotype implying it is not masculine enough. Is it because it’s fussy? It’s no more fussy than a wedge of pie which apparently is the way to capture a man’s heart. Is it because it’s French? Last time I checked, French food is very well-liked in North America. Is it because of its ingredients? Egg, cheese, and cream are hallmarks of hearty breakfasts. Seriously, unless you’re a fake man made of plastic and graces store windows as your reason of existence, you really ought to eat quiche.

After that little rant, you would think I devoured my Apple Goat Cheese Quiche with Leeks for this week’s French Fridays with Dorie. Actually, not a single bite. Who doesn’t eat quiche? Athlete with aspiration to go to World Masters Championship in exactly 100 days. Yes, an opportunity landed at my doorstep to represent Canada as a masters (35+) inline speed skater. Of course I want to do everything I can to prepare for the race and that includes getting back to my race season peak shape. A treat made of tender buttery pastry, rich custardy filling, savoury goat cheese, and tart apple dices has no place on my plate.

Bring Out The Icing, Bring On The Decadence

There is stress eating but I much rather practice stress baking. When the pressure heats up, so does my oven. In fact, you can gauge the reading of my stress-o-meter by looking at what kind of decadent dessert I churn out. Yesterday I baked up a batch of Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls complete with Cream Cheese Icing. So how stressful am I? Take a look at this photo and judge for yourself.

Cinnamon roll has the power to dissolve self-control with its sweet aroma of butter and spice. If you’ve ever come into sniffing-distance of any cinnamon roll stands, you know what I mean. Worse yet, at an airport. Where there’s no decent food available within walking distance. It’s hard to walk away from such encounters without a roll or two that I’m sure go directly from mouth to waistline. That’s just a long way to say, yes I am pretty stress out.