It's that time of year...

Three years ago we spent an unforgettable 18 summer days in Europe. Every year around this time I can feel myself longing for those days. We stayed at this bed and breakfast in Villers- Bocage.

I am having a difficult time finding words to describe the feelings I experienced during our stay. Instantly, I knew Ferme du Pressoir was and always will be my very favourite place on earth. While I loved our hotel in Paris, there is something so genuine about staying in a bed and breakfast.

Our host Oldie spoke very very little English but we didn't need to speak the same language to understand her warmth. She immediately welcomed us with a huge bowl of cherries and cider she had made right there on the farm. She then took us on a tour where we collected eggs for our breakfast the next day.

The next morning we heard the rooster crow and sleepily made our way downstairs. We woke to a table full with cereal, toast, fresh omelettes made to order, homemade hot chocolate, fruit and pastries all around. It was my very favourite meal of the trip. We sleepily sat on a farm in northern France, surrounded by amazing food, planning our day at the D-Day beaches.

Around this time each year I try to find a recipe to help bring me back to those days. Just like last year this recipe includes Nutella.  Pastry and chocolate to help sooth a longing soul.

Note * The blog this recipe is from is the one I meant to link to in my last post. I accidentally linked to another blog by mistake. I have since fixed this but just in case, I don't want you to miss this great site!

 A Sweet Spoonful's Nutella Puff Pastry

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3 package), thawed
1 large egg, beaten for an egg wash
7 oz. Nutella (roughly half of a 13 oz. jar)
1 Tbsp. sugar for sanding the crust
Fleur de sel (or fine sea salt) for finishing
4 Tbsp. whole hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 F. Arrange puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Form a 10-inch square and fold each edge in to make a 1-inch crust. Poke middle of dough numerous times with a fork. Brush edges of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Freeze for fifteen minutes.

Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until pastry is puffed and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and spread Nutella evenly across the pastry. The Nutella will begin to melt, making it much easier to spread. Sprinkle with sea salt and hazelnuts and cut into 4 squares or 6 triangles. Serve warm.

Makes 4-6 servings

Snowy Saturdays

We really had a beautiful fall this year. The leaves stayed crisp, the cooler evenings were filled with sun soaked skies and best of all; it lasted well into November. I think this is why I am having a much easier time dealing with winter. I can even go as far as to say when we woke up to a winter wonderland I was excited.

Originally we had planned to go out for breakfast but decided to stay in. This left me looking into the cupboards. Cereal and toast just wouldn’t cut it. I needed something that suited a January morning of woolen sweaters, pajama bottoms and chapped lips. I needed something comforting. I fingered through cookbooks and then curled up on the couch to check some of my favourite food blogs.

That’s when I found this recipe. I set to work and just as the recipe promised quickly whipped up super fast cinnamon buns. They are okay. They aren’t great. The dough is firmer and doesn’t have the soft, sweet chewy consistency I was hoping for. I decided, before the weekend was through, I had to have a great cinnamon bun recipe.

My taste tester was very excited about this and happily went out to get some more eggs and puff pastry. Here we are Sunday night and I think I can say I was mildly successful. I found a delicious sticky bun recipe.

I’m still a little confused as to what the difference is between sticky buns and cinnamon buns but it really doesn’t matter to me. All I know is the recipe that follows is deliciously comforting.

Easy Sticky Buns
adapted slightly from Ina Garten

ingredients
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
1 package frozen puff pastry, defrosted

for the filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In a bowl with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out 2 sheets of puff pastry. Brush both sheets with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with the 1/2 the brown sugar, and 1/2 the cinnamon. Roll the pastry up snuggly, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 12 of the muffin cups.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.