Grilled Apples

As Fall creeps in, I generally find myself in a weird "in-between" kind of place. The kind of weather that doesn't require tights but you might want to take a jacket with you when you go out. Where Ben can get away with shorts and a sweater. And when both of us are dying to eek out the last few grilled meals without feeling like we're going to freeze.

At this point in time, a lot of great fruits are in season so just like the shorts/sweater combo you don't normally think of, we've been experimenting with some unusual grilled items. My favorite so far has been the apples that Ben grilled for dinner a few nights ago.

They were quite healthy for something that tasted so sweet and only require four ingredients which make them a nice afterthought addition to any meal. Especially when you already have the grill fired up. Oh, and the cinnamon makes them taste nice and fall-like for the WIN. 

Here's the recipe, I hope you enjoy!

In the Kitchen: Nutella (again) in an ice cream cake!

You have probably figured this out but, I have a thing for Nutella. Plus, we've found that buying it at Costco is the best deal so I keep trying to find ways to use it in ways we can share before I eat an entire jumbo size of it myself. All in one night.

Earlier this year I started with the Nutella Cookies, which I turned into Nutella Ice Cream Sandwiches which I have now turned into Nutella Ice Cream Cake! If you remember, I ended up using a biscuit cutter to make cleaner edges on the Ice Cream Sandwiches which left me with lots of leftover cookie crumbles. Rather than throwing them away I turned them into this:

What you'll need:

4 Cups Nutella Cookie crumbles
1/2 Gallon Choclate Chip ice cream
2 cups hot fudge
2 cups Nutella
For the icing- 1 pint whipping cream, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon cocoa

The plan:

Before icing.

First, take a loaf pan and line it with saran wrap. Next, take your cookie crumbs and whizz them through the food processor until they are finely ground. Fill the pan evenly with a layer of ice cream about two inches high then put the pan in the freezer. While you are letting the first layer chill for a bit, put 1 cup of the hot fudge and one cup of the Nutella in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until it has melted evenly through. Take the pan out of the freezer, layer two cups of the cookie crumbs followed by the hot fudge and Nutella. That's right- put the pan back in the freezer to chill for a couple minutes. Then, take it back out and add another 2 inches of the ice cream, then back into the freezer and prepare the cookie crumbles/melted hot fudge and Nutella step over again. Once that layer has set to chill for a couple minutes add the crumbles, fudge and Nutella. Make sure this layer is even and thick because it will end up being the  bottom layer of the cake. Put back in the freezer overnight or for 12 hours.

Before serving, mix a pint of whipping cream with a stand or powered mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in powdered sugar and blend until smooth. Pipe or spread icing onto cake and then sift cocoa onto the top for garnish.

This may look like a long process, but it is extremely easy and the perfect make-ahead dessert for entertaining! I tested the first run out on my co-workers and they seemed to really like it. My boss gave me a great tip too- next time she suggested adding raspberries for a tart touch which I totally plan on doing. Everyone offered to be used as a taste tester again should I try another round with berries so I'm taking that as a good sign!