Homemade-nutella hot chocolate with whipped cream

I don’t eat sweets regularly —even though I have a sweet tooth and I’m crazy about chocolate and Greek syrup desserts like baklava and galaktoboureko— and when I do eat them, I only have a small portion. This wasn’t always the case, I used to eat lots of sweets every single day which I finally realized wasn’t good for me and stopped.

Because of this, I have re-calibrated my palate, and now I don’t need a lot of sugar, honey or any other sweetener for something to taste sweet to me. Take for example Nutella. I used to love the stuff, which is full of sugar and cloyingly sweet, but ever since I stopped eating it and started making my own, I can’t eat Nutella anymore at all. I only eat my very own version of it that’s indeed far better. It’s not too sweet and it’s the real thing, with the pure and full flavor of hazelnuts and chocolate.

I’ve been making my own Nutella for quite some time now and apart from eating it straight from the jar, I’m invariably using it in all sorts of desserts and drinks, like this creamy and rich hot chocolate which is truly fantastic.

Besides my homemade chocolate and hazelnut spread, I add a little Frangelico to it which enhances the flavor of the nuts even more and I serve it topped with freshly whipped cream and a generous sprinkling of dark chocolate shavings, no less than 70% cocoa solids to give it a proper chocolaty boost.

Perfect for a Sunday afternoon, isn’t it?

Homemade-nutella hot chocolate with whipped cream

You could have this without the whipped cream of course, but its addition really adds a richness of texture and flavor to the beverage that’s quite marvelous.

Apropos of nothing, I never thought my laziness could lead to a revelation and a discovery of the most fluffy yet sturdy and smooth whipped cream, made with a food processor, but yes, that’s what happened. And from now on, whenever I need to make a small batch, I will only use my food processor. Read below how to make it too.

If by any chance you use store-bought chocolate-hazelnut spread that is far sweeter than my homemade version, you will need to add less of it to the beverage.

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
2 cups (500 ml) fresh whole milk
4 heaped Tbsp homemade hazelnut-chocolate spread (homemade Nutella), at room temperature
2 Tbsp Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur

to serve
Freshly whipped cream (see below hot to make it yourself using full-fat fresh cream)
Grated/shaved good quality dark chocolate (70% coco solids)
Demerara sugar or any other sugar you prefer (optional)

Special equipment: small food processor (to make the whipped cream)


Preparation

make the whipped cream
In a small food processor, add the cream (you’ll need no more than 100 ml for two servings) and process for a few seconds until it thickens and becomes fluffy and creamy. Be careful because the food processor is powerful and the cream doesn’t need a lot of time to whip up. It takes seconds to become proper whipped cream.

make the hot chocolate
In a small saucepan, add the milk and heat over a medium heat until it starts to bubble at the edges. Turn the heat off and add the homemade Nutella and the Frangelico. Mix well with a small whisk to combine the ingredients and melt the Nutella. Give it a taste to see if it has gotten cold and if it has, heat it up again but don’t boil it. If you want, you can add the sugar at this point as well. Pour into jugs and top with freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Drink immediately and enjoy!!

Pumpkin hummus with fresh chilli

Hummus lovers unite!

I have tried numerous kinds of hummus over the years, adding different vegetables (like beetroot), spices and aromatics to the classic, just-chickpeas version, and it never disappoints. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with even more combinations with great results and of course I plan to share those versions of hummus with you here.

Hummus is so versatile and so easy to whip up, literally, and it pairs beautifully with just about anything; seafood, meats, cooked and raw vegetables, or just straight up with a good loaf of crusty bread, toasted or not, with homemade pita, especially the Greek kind, with barley rusks or even with plain crackers.

This time, I decided to add fresh pumpkin to my hummus and some fresh, fiery, red chilli pepper to spice it up, as well as some ground cumin and cinnamon to make it more aromatic. I paired it with sumac-roasted pumpkin seeds that I sprinkled on top for extra crunch and fresh pomegranate seeds for color, tangy sweetness and freshness. It’s very creamy, utterly delicious and I hope you enjoy it too.

Pumpkin hummus with fresh chilli

It’s the best mezes to serve at a dinner or lunch, the perfect office snack paired with crunchy vegetables for dipping (cucumber, pepper, carrots) and if you are fasting during this period of Lent, it’s also Lenten-appropriate.

If you are daring, you can add some fresh Thai chilli that is way hotter than the regular red chilli pepper I used.
I used the classic, orange-colored pumpkin but you can also use butternut squash or kabocha squash.

Yield: enough for 6 people as an appetizer

Ingredients
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
1 fresh red chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cumin
150 g peeled fresh pumpkin, cut into 2 cm pieces
220 g cooked (boiled) chickpeas (see here how to make them), or canned chickpeas, rinsed well and drained (but keep the chickpea juices!!)
50 g tahini
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground white pepper
About 100 ml (7 Tbsp) chickpea juice (from homemade or canned chickpeas)
Salt

Sumac-roasted pumpkin seeds, to serve (see the recipe here)
Pomegranate seeds, to serve

Special equipment: large food processor


Preparation
In a wide frying pan, add the olive oil and heat over a medium heat. When it starts to shimmer, add the shallots and fry for 1 minute until soft. Add the garlic, the chilli pepper, the cinnamon and the cumin and fry for 1 minute stirring continuously, being careful not to burn the garlic or the hummus will have a bitter taste. Then add the pumpkin, a little salt and 2 Tbsp hot water and cook gently over a medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Once ready, transfer all the contents of the pan to a plate and allow to cool.

In the food processor, add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, a little white pepper and the chickpea juice and process until smooth. Add the cooled down pumpkin and process again until you have a smooth and creamy hummus. Give it a taste and add more lemon juice if needed and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt.

Serve topped with sumac-roasted pumpkin seeds, a few pomegranate seeds and a good drizzle of olive oil.

You can keep it in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. Take it out of the fridge half an hour before serving and stir it very well with a spoon or spatula to make it creamy and to fluff it up.