Thursday, May 20, 2010

Nutella Sandwich Cookies, A Blogiversary, and a GIVEAWAY!!

Nutella Sandwich Cookies

My little baby blog is growing up before my very eyes. Today I am celebrating two fab years of food blogging. Last year I made a cake. This year cookies will have to suffice. It's been another great year of blogging. I made a goal to meet at least three food bloggers in person. Well I exceeded that and met many, fabulous people. In fact, I met so many bloggers, I would love to name them all here, but unfortunately I don't have that kind of time. You all know who you are and we've had so much fun together!!

Of course this wouldn't be a celebration without highlighting some of my favorite and most popular posts from the past year.

Last summer I moved out of the apartment I lived at for quite a while. For nearly two months, I hardly cooked a thing so after some time, I was eager to get back into the kitchen. One of the first things I did was use my favorite end of summer fruit in a simple tart.

Fig Bacon and Gorgonzola Tart

Lately I've really been getting in to Korean food and recipes. After a field trip to Koreatown here in Los Angeles, I came back and made chicken bulgogi. I have so many ingredients left over, it's been really fun to play around with different recipes.

Dak Bulgogi

I love to bake as a way to relieve stress and delight my coworkers with treats. Two of the most popular baking recipes have been Sticky Meyer Lemon Rolls and Crack Pie. It's not difficult to figure out why.

Sticky Meyer Lemon Rolls

Momofuku's Crack Pie Bars

I had a couple of parties and made a cake.

Cuban Opera Cake

I got to go to fun events with food and wine.

LA Food Bloggers with Curtis Stone at Good Food Live

I ate at fancy restaurants, not so fancy restaurants, and food trucks and enjoyed it all.

Pastrami Melt from The Grilled Cheese Truck in Los Angeles

I participated in two bake sales and a fundraiser for Haiti.

National Food Blogger Bake Sale

Some really nice people have said some really nice things about me.

It's been another delicious year and I want to give back to my readers who make it possible. I'm giving away a $100 gift card to Williams Sonoma! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post by 11:59PM PST, June 3rd. That's it! I'm keeping it simple and also keeping this open for a couple of weeks so everyone gets a chance to enter. One entry per person please and while I would like to be able to ship anywhere in the world, that's just not possible so this is open to US residents only. When the contest is done, Random Integer Generator will come up with the winner for me since I don't like picking favorites amongst friends.

Thanks to everyone all over the world who have made it worthwhile for me to continue finding and creating new recipes for you to enjoy here on this little site. It's been so much fun and I hope to continue doing it for years to come!

Oh yes, and the cookies have a recipe. They're super simple to make and even better to eat. Nutella fans will love them and lest you think they would be too sweet with all that sugar, there is a nice dose of salt to bring out the flavors and balance them out. Try them soon. Nutella is still on sale at the store!!


Nutella Sandwich Cookies
(Adapted from Indecisive Baker who adapted from Living Eventfully)



Makes 24 cookies (12 sandwiches)

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. and set aside.

In a stand mixer bow place the Nutella, butter, and both sugars. On medium speed cream together mixer for about about 3 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla and blend until combined. Stir in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated.

Carefully shape the cookie dough into 1 inch, about 1 teaspoon sized round balls. . Roll the cookie balls in sugar and place the cookies on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 6-8 minutes. The cookies will look underdone, but they will continue to cook once the pan is removed from the oven.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookies sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cool spread a layer of Nutella between two cookies.

Printable Recipe

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111 comments:

Taylor said...

I want some of those lemon sticky rolls....yumm!!

innBrooklyn said...

I came over for the nutella cookies and found so much more: what a great best of collection. since i've only been following your blog for a few months i missed some of those! happy blogiversary!

Erica said...

awwwwwwww! Happy Blog birthday :) You know I love love your blog. I have been avidly reading for some time now!All of your eats always look pretty and tasty. I still want to make those lemon rolls. Great giveaway!

shaz said...

Happy Blog Birthday Esi! So glad to have met you, and I do enjoy visiting. That Curtis Stone is quite a dish huh;P

PS - not eligible to enter, but if you do ever head down here, I'll be your tour guide :)

Anonymous said...

Yum - those nutella cookies look delicious!! I might have to make those this weekend. :) And happy blogiversary! Love your blog. :)

Olga @ MangoTomato said...

Congrats on the 2 year anniversary!!! To many more happy years of eating and blogging.

It was awesome to finally meet you at the Foodbuzz festival. And I can't thank you enough for tweeting about the Canon digital SLR special :)

Pam said...

I'd like one of those cookies now to go with my coffee! Happy Blogiversary! Your blog is one of the best and I enjoy reading it so much and seeing what you're cooking!

The Food Librarian said...

Esi!!! Two years and such a star! I enjoy reading about all your delicious creations (especially now that you are Ghana-Korean now :) but I especially like you the person! I'm very lucky to know you! Let's meet up at the Farmer's Market and find us some Salad Boys. :) - mary the food librarian

P.S. Those cookies?! oh my.

Lisanne Boling said...

Congratulations on 2 Years!!! It definitely takes dedication to keep up with blogging, so thanks, we all appreciate it! :)

vanillasugarblog said...

happy blogaversary! or however you spell it. LOL
i am so glad to have you as a friend and hope to meet you soon, very soon.
i remember that layered choco cake oh yes. and i think i love how creative you are most, but love that you are a good friend the most.
what a FABULOUS giveaway my dear. YAY!! lol

anna said...

Your recipes always look soooo yummy. Happy 2 years!

Maria said...

Happy Blog Birthday! I enjoy each and every post and I am REALLY loving these cookies. Stumbled and making them soon:)

Julie from TheLittleKitchen.net said...

Congrats and thanks for the giveaway! Found you via @vanillakitchen. :)

yutjangsah said...

Happy bday blog! And hey whos that sexay bespectacled lady in your photo lurking all serial killer like? Hehe. Keep on truckin girl!

M. said...

WOW! I don't even know where to start here... so first of all: CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY....hope there will be many more....you're doing fantastic job, I always wait for your interesting recipes and tried quite a lot of them...I still can't get over the strawberry tart with lemon curd and thyme :) soooo good!
second of all: netella cookies sound mouthwatering, so I will be trying this recipe soon :)

Misty said...

Happy blogiversary! I found you through a tweet from vanillakitchen, and I'm glad I did. Your pictures are very nice and the food looks delicious. I'll be adding you to my Google Reader for sure!

Mel said...

Happy Blog Birthday! Can't wait to make that crack pie! Squeee!

brandi said...

HAPPY BLOG BIRTHDAY!! You have quite the dedication to put in two years, and two years of amazing food! I'll have a glass of wine to celebrate your blog birthday! :)

Caroline said...

Congratulations on your 2nd year of blogging. I look forward to reading more about your culinary adventures!

A. Smith said...

Congrats and thanks for always making me drool, lol.
asmithonline at yahoo dot ca

Anonymous said...

i love your bulgogi recipe. and that layer cake... oh my! now that's a dessert to celebrate a blogiversary with!!

cheers,

*heather*

La Bella Cooks said...

Congrats on your two years! Time flies. I love the chocolate cake and those delicious looking layers but your nutella cookies look quite tempting as well.

Danica said...

Happy blog bday! Those meyer lemon rolls look divine. They might actually be the perfect thing to make for my post wedding brunch.

Love your blog :)

Elizabeth said...

this post made me hungry :)

Kelly Valentine said...

Happy Blog Birthday!! I want to bathe in those nutella cookies!!

Fresh Local and Best said...

Happy second bloganniversary! You've accomplished a lot in two years. The recipes you feature here are always terrific. I hope to meet you in person someday.

Vicki said...

Happy Blogiversary! Looking forward to year 3.

The Duo Dishes said...

Congrats congrats congrats to you! You're a delight, and that should be easy to figure out from your blog. Hope all good things continue to come, and that perhaps you find yourself right where you want to be in terms of food. :) Keep trucking girl!

Suburban prep said...

Happy Happy.

Oh my the Chocolate cake and the Lemon bars look so delicious.
Smiling faces everywhere and why not with such great food.

DAUL said...

Happy Blog-iversary! So much fun has been had and more to come! CHERRIES!!!!!!

daxphillips said...

Congrats Esi! Keep up the good work.

Diana said...

Meeting you was definitely a high-light of my year too! Here's to more meet-ups in 2010 and beyond!

Congratulations on all your well-deserved accolades. You already know how I feel about you and Dishing Up Delights, but I'll say it again - you rock my food world! :)

And my gmail inbox.

Mollie said...

Those cookies look AMAZING! Happy Blog-versary!

Anonymous said...

Aww Esi! I just had my 2 year blogiversary too! Unfortunately I don't write enough to feel like it warranted a celebration.

congratulations on yours!! :)

Sass Master said...

You had me at Nutella! I love your blog and check it daily. Thanks for all the writing you do, it's fun, witty and delicous :)

Tessa said...

Congratulations!! I looove Nutella. I just made nutella ice cream actually. Hope you have many more blogiversaries (and get to meet more hottie chefs like Curtis Stone!).

TeaLady said...

The nutella sandwich cookies look very tasty. I love nutella and am always happy to find new ways to use it.

Happy Blogiversary. My first visit, but I know I will be back.

Jessica F said...

Congrats!

Mmmmmm. Nutella. 'Nuff said. These will soon be in my belly!

Memória said...

HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY!!!!!!!! I've always loved your blog. I'm so happy that you've made it through 2 years so successfully. I love your photos, recipe, and the variety of savory recipes you post. Also, your photos are always perfect.

What an awesome giveaway! I would love to win a gift card!

The Mecham Family said...

Just found your blog the other day and I'm hooked! All your recipes look SO yummy!!

Pikate said...

You met Curtis Stone!? You cookie look yummy and congratulations for 2 years of blogging.

Jules said...

Those cookies look amazing! I'm a huge Nutella lover so the recipe has been bookmarked for future reference!

So glad I found your blog!

Karen said...

Congrats on 2 years of blogging and thanks for the beautiful recipes and awesome giveaway.
karenreichmann@hotmail.com

Roxanne said...

Happy Blogiversary. I love nutella so I have to try these cookies real soon. I could also use a slice of that cake, wow it looks delicious!

JenHunsaker said...

Thanks for reminding me of all those yummy treats from the past! How could i NOT have bookmarked those lemon rolls? They are now in my future. Thanks!

Joy said...

I love the cookies. Nutella never stays long in my house :D Happy Blog Birthday!

Anna said...

Happy blogiversary! i love nutella and now i'm craving it. can't wait to go home and whip up those cookies.

Unknown said...

Congrats!! Your cookies look awesome ;-)

Brooke said...

Happy Anniversary! What a beautiful and tasty two years! You're wonderful!

MicheleKaplan said...

Congratulations Esi for your blog's 2nd anniversary! I have been a very happy subscriber from almost the start, and really enjoy getting your posts. Thanks so much for the opportunity to win the gift certificate! Take care, Michele

Kristi said...

The cookies (and everything else for that matter) look sooo good! I love Nutella.

kristisdeals1 at yahoo dot com

Kate @ Savour Fare said...

Happy Blogoversary! I'm always so impressed by how prolific you are and how delicious all your recipes sound! So glad we got to meet this year!

Space Monkey 1138 said...

All of your pictures are fabulous. Congrats and thanks for the chance at winning!

Jeanne said...

Happy blog birthday! Nutella cookies sound like the perfect way to celebrate! Your posts always make me smile (and make me hungry, too), so keep up the excellent work!

Teresa said...

I am hosting a reunion of a Mom's Bible Study Group in a couple of weeks. I've been looking around for something girly and indulgent to give to these women who were an important part of my life in the past. Those nutella cookies will fit the bill!

Janet said...

I'm so glad to have met you and to have discovered your blog! Thanks for re-sharing all these fabulous recipes. Happy Blogiversary!!

Kim said...

those cookies look fabulous!! happy blog birthday too!

ICook4Fun said...

Happy Blog Birthday!! I've been reading your for sometime now and this is the first time leaving a comment. Lucky you got to meet up with Curtis.

Joanne said...

Happy blog birthday! Your blog is one of my favorites out there and I'm SO glad that I discovered it! The food never fails to amaze me.

I loved your round-up of some of your favorites. ANd those cookies. Well. I'm a nutella fiend.

Lizzy said...

Hi Esi;

Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary. I have been a subscriber for almost a year; thank you so much for all the delicious treats!

Topher said...

Well Thanks for the great giveaway!


Chris

zekks at yahoo dot com

Amanda said...

Congrats on 2 years! :D

The Nutella cookies look amazing! As does everything else. :)

Cooking with tien said...

You have a lovely blog! We appreciate you sharing your passion with the world. -Tien :)

Unknown said...

2 years?!?!!! amazing girl, keep up the good work. i'm so glad we got to meet, too :) congrats... and can i have one of those cookies? YUM.

Dorothea said...

Congrats on your 2nd Year Anniversary, and thanks for all the luscious recipes you've posted!

Heidi said...

Thanks for all of the great recipes!

Shanda Wells said...

Congrats! I can only hope to be where you are now in a couple of years. www.delectableendeavors.wordpress.com
These cookies will be a great birthday present for my boyfriend!

Tiffany said...

I can't wait to make those cookies. Nutella makes everything delicious. Congrats on 2 years!

Sew Lovins said...

so glad i found your site...the quinoa cakes brought me here and was delighted to enter the giveaway. ill be following u on bloglines!! thanks

Alyse said...

A very joyous blog celebration for you and all of your readers.

Jane said...

I'll trade you my jar of nutella for your time spent with Curtis Stone! Looks like you've had a great year, congrats!

Rina said...

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oddly enough, your perfect party cake was what introduced you to me!

KJonas said...

Happy Blogging Birthday! The recipe looks delicious.

Rachel said...

great recipe

Anonymous said...

Happy Blogging anniversary! I first saw your blog a few days ago with the korean chicken recipe and I'm excited to test out some of them! :D

Unknown said...

Happy 2nd Blog Birthday! I've made the crack pie and it's remarkable!

Best wishes.

Rachel said...

I think I need to make those cookies. Oh, and I need to win that gift certificate to Williams Sonoma! :) Happy Blogaversary!

CarrieL said...

Congratulations on two years of fabulous recipes, photos and fun times you have shared with us!

Anonymous said...

*Congratulations* on your many milestones and thanks for sharing so my delicious goodies :) *Thanks* for the giveaway!
theluckyladybug[at]gmail[dot]com

Unknown said...

Happy blog bday!!! Love nutella, can't wait to try these cookies.

Amy I. said...

BIG congrats, Esi!! What an exciting milestone. And YAY for nutella! Happy blogiversary!

Unknown said...

Congratulations on your blogiversary! Love this little recap post. I rarely, if ever, comment but I really enjoy your blog :)

The cookies look awesome! Can't wait to give em a shot!

Unknown said...

Congrats on two great years of recipes and content! I love to see what unique ideas you are cooking up in the kitchen.

Anonymous said...

Happy Blogiversary! Keep making that wonderful food. i have yet to make your Meyer's sticky rolls, but I still keep making those strawberry muffins. My fave. :)

AmyB09 said...

I love your chicken bulgogi recipe--Korean food is yummy!
Congratulations on your blogiversary!

Unknown said...

Yay for blogiversarys!

Deliciously Organic said...

Congrats on 2 years of blogging! The nutella cookies looking fabulous!

Pauline said...

Wow! Look at that wonderful year of blogging! All that food looks awesome. And man, Nutella cookies. Can't go wrong with those. I have to say that your posts are always tantalizing! Thanks for always sharing!

Mellisa said...

It all just looks so good! Happy Blogiversary :)

pinapuna said...

I have just recently found your blog and love it! Happy blogiversary and many more. I look forward to making more delectible treats!

marla {family fresh cooking} said...

What a wonderful year you have had! I am so happy we are now friends. I look forward to getting to know you better and watching your blog continue to grow. Great cookies and that chocolate layer cake....oh my! Happy B'day to your blog. xo

Gaby said...

omg you are too cute! This is by far my favorite post ever!! Love love love the re-cap!! Here's to an even more exciting year to come! xo

Alicia Foodycat said...

Happy blogoversary! Those are lovely looking cookies.

test it comm said...

Congrats on 2 tasty years! I am looking forward to more.

Beatrice said...

Happy Blogiversary! Congrats on making it so far and creating so many memories. Here's another avid fan of Nutella... Well, is there really anyone out there who doesn't like it?! Hope you'll see many more blogiversaries down the road!

Becca said...

Those look so good! I love nutella. congrats on the blogiversary!

EatPlayLove said...

Congrats on your 2nd year! The nutella recipe looks simply delightful, can't wait to try it.

Klee said...

Nice! I love posts with substance like these.

LetMeEatCake Eat With Me! said...

happy blogiversary bebe! to many many more yummy posts that keep me coming back for more! love to you and your blog!

Karen said...

Happy blogoversary! This is an awesome giveaway!

Gabby said...

I'm a newcomer to your blog, and at the perfect time! Nutella is my crack. Happy blog birthday to you!

Banana Wonder said...

Your blog is EPIC!!! Wow I'm so glad to have met you in person :) I am drooling going through your recipes and just had 12 courses of honey!

Michelle @ Taste As You Go said...

I apologize for the lateness... but Happy Blogiversary! Keep it going 'cause I love drooooling over your pictures! ;-)

MommyBee said...

Congrats on your blogvesary! Hope you have lots of more productive years, and I love your recipes!

Angelina

mommybee17_at_gmail_dot_com

Becca said...

Love the blog!

Krystal R said...

Those nutella cookes are awesome...I can't wait to make these suckers!

Anonymous said...

Great blog. I wrote a possibly too long message which didn't get posted. Want to say your recipe choices are great. Love that chocolate layer cake, what I wouldn't give to taste it. Am going to try the brown rice pudding tomorrow. Stay enthusiastic and healthy. Congratulations on your blogiversary.

Keri L Dominguez said...

Love your Blog! Happy Blogiversary! Can't wait to try the Brown Rice Pudding :)

Erika Kerekes said...

Happy Blogiversary! Two years, that is fantastic! I am making those Meyer lemon sticky rolls soonest...they look terrific!

Kat said...

Congratulations, Esi on another anniversary!...Great recipes...great writing...great food...here's to many more years!

Unknown said...

Just stumbled across your blog via foodgawker but I love it! These look incredibly good.