Quickie Dessert Idea for the Holidays

 

Since the 2021 holiday season will quickly be upon us, I felt it would be appropriate to offer a crash course in a quick dessert that anyone can prepare in minutes.  I know these may look like cannoli but they are actually much simpler - no shells to buy or make (cannoli shells can be made at home but they require a special mold to wrap the dough around before they are baked or fried - this takes time and can be messy).  If you can make French toast, you can make this simple dessert.  It's called a Nutella Roll-up.  Kids love them but so do adults.  And the cool thing about this dish is that it can be varied a thousand ways, depending on how creative you want to get.  

Here's all you need:

Eggs or liquid egg substitute, etc. (2-3 eggs or 8 Oz of liquid eggs)

Milk or milk substitute (I prefer almond or oat milk), use about 1/2 of egg amount = 4 Oz per above. 

Bread - I prefer whole wheat but any bread will work fine.  12 Oz of batter will cover about 6 regular slices of bread.  Double or triple the recipe if you are preparing for a bigger crowd.  

Nutella - Although you can use plain ole peanut butter, jellies or jam or get really creative with Oreo Butter (yes, there is such a thing), cashew nut butter, macadamia nut fudge, chai spice almond butter, honey-sweetened chestnut butter, graham cracker butter (via Williams-Sonoma) and the list goes on.  Nutella is easy to find in stores and if you have kids, there's a good chance you have some in your pantry. 

Spices - It's good to add a few spices to flavor the egg-milk mixture.  Vanilla, nutmeg, salt, cinnamon and honey are my preferred additions but again you can get really creative - maybe a little cayenne pepper to counterbalance the sweetness?

Syrups and Dessert Toppings - Sure you can use maple syrup like you might for French toast.  But chocolate, strawberry, raspberry, caramel and other dessert syrups enable you to drizzle across the plate and make your dessert look like something made by a classically trained pastry chef.  They are easy to find in the baking section of your local grocery store.  I keep a couple on-hand just in case of a dessert emergency.  You can also top with mini chocolate chips, crushed nuts, powdered sugar, crushed Reese's Pieces and Butterfinger candy bars (personal favorite).  There is no end to the amount of OMGs you can create by just thinking a little out of the box.  

In fact, here's an idea.  Still have a bunch of candy bars left over from Halloween?  Remove the wrappers and toss them into a food processor.  Use the pulse mode to chop until you end up with pieces suitable for dusting the roll-ups.  

You can go crazy here but then again, you can keep this simple too.  Remember that I am trying to give you a fairly simple recipe you can do in a pinch.  

Equipment - You'll need a mixing bowl, a cutting board or other clean, flat surface, a rolling pin (or a thermos, maybe a sanitized baseball bat...), a butter knife, a hot non-stick frying pan and a spatula.  If you have an electronic mixer, it makes combining the wet ingredients easier, but a fork will also work.  

Step 1 - Batter Up! - Combine the eggs and milk, add sprinkles (think teaspoon) or cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, salt, and honey.  Mix thoroughly and create the batter.

This is what the batter should resemble when the ingredients are fully combined. 

Step 2 - Bring the Heat.  Set your frying pan on high heat to start and back the heat down once you get into a groove.  You don't want your roll-ups to burn but you want to produce nice crispy edges and to ensure they are cooked all the way through.  After all, you are cooking with eggs and they need to be well-done for food safety reasons.  If you have a good non-stick pan, you may not need non-stick spray or oil.  It's up to you.  When the pan is really hot, put the roll-ups into the pan and give them a minute or two before flipping with a spatula.  They may stick a bit but this will get easier as you turn them to ensure they get nice and done on every side. 

Step 3 - Get Rolling.  Use a rolling pin to flatten out the bread and coat one side with Nutella or other "butter."  Once the you've coated one side, roll the bread tightly like a cigar.  

Step 4 - Pitch to the Batter - Immerse the roll-ups in the batter.  Be sure to coat all sides and carefully place them into the frying pan - take care not to burn yourself on the sides on the pan. 

Thoroughly cook them like you would French toast.  Make sure they brown up nicely on each side (as shown above) and turn or flip them every minute or two to ensure they get evenly done on all sides.  

Step 5 - Get to the Plate and Score a Run - Using a spatula or fork, carefully remove the roll-ups from the frying pan and place them on a serving plate.  Next, apply syrups and toppings to make them look pretty. 

At this point, you are only limited by your imagination (and toppings on-hand).  
 

You can mix colors, toppings and combine in any way you want.  If you're hosting a group rooting for the Louisville Cardinals, the above might be appropriate.  Please excuse the baseball metaphors.  

Enjoy!