Chocolate-Strawberry Panini

Look.



No, look a little closer. You know you want to.



You want to make this. You know you do....

My friends, I give you the Chocolate-Strawberry Panini. Yes, you guessed it..... from Giada. What can I say? The woman is a genius. Sheer genius. You can say what you want about her (and I've heard lots of things..... ), the woman knows what she's doing when it comes to dessert.



Believe me. You want to make this. Trust Giada. She won't steer you wrong.

The wonderful thing about this particular dessert is that you don't even have to bake anything to make it. Now, on the particular day that I made this I could not locate any pound cake in my favorite grocery store, and I already had pound cake on the brain, so I just made two. I know, I know..... crazy, but I just had to have this, and right away. I used The Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake Recipe, but any old pound cake will do. I did leave the lemon glaze off the pound cake that I made for the paninis. I didn't want to interfere with the sheer bliss that is chocolate, strawberries and cake....... oh. my. goodness. Did I already say that you should try this??? You should try this.

Here's the lowdown...

Chocolate-Strawberry Panini
Recipe (adapted for one) courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

3-5 Tablespoons of Nutella
2 (1/2-inch) thick slices pound cake (from 1 (10.75-ounce) loaf)
1-2 fresh strawberries, hulled and very thinly sliced (depends on how much strawberry you want on the panini)
Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray (I didn't use the cooking spray, but if you're worried about sticking, go for it)

Heat a panini grill to medium according to the manufacturer's instructions. Go ahead and start by cutting your pound cake pieces in half. It's easier this way. Cutting this after you take it off the panini maker is a recipe for disaster. Trust me.

Spread the chocolate-hazelnut spread over 1 side of each of the pound cake slices. Arrange the sliced strawberries over top of the chocolate spread on each slice. Cover with the remaining cake slices, chocolate side down.

Spray panini grill with nonstick spray and grill each panino (very gently) until the pound cake is crisp and golden and the fillings are warm, about 2 minutes.

Eat immediately. You won't regret it.

Mozzarella, Raspberry and Brown Sugar Panini

So we were out running errands the other day and we decided to run into Target and get one of the items on our list. There was this crazy woman standing in front of the Giada display in some sort of trance......... anyway, next thing I know, we're standing at the registers and I am buying a panini maker. Yes, yes, it was Giada's panini maker.

Hello, my name is Sam, and I love Giada. I am about 2 steps away from packing my bags and heading out to California to see if I can sit out on her pool deck and attend all the dinner parties, and taste all those delicious meals that she serves to all her friends..... I kid, I kid...... My friends are about 2 steps from staging some sort of intervention. They said they are going to tie me up and drive me to some undisclosed location and force me to eat nothing but McDonalds and Burger King for days..... They're not kidding.

So, back to the subject...... I know, I know... I am probably the last person on the planet to get a panini maker, but I am so excited. Ahhhh the possibilities.... yummy possibilities. And possibilities that my soon to be 13 year old can execute for dinner all by himself. How did I ever live without it. Obviously I need to get out of the house more.

I took my new baby for a test run today, and this is what I made.



Giada's Mozzarella, Raspberry and Brown Sugar Panini.

You didn't really think I was going to make something that wasn't Giada's did you? Anyway, I digress.... it was delicious. Beyond delicious. Also very indulgent if you ask me. It would be perfect as a breakfast dish, but also would work well as a dessert. Seems like an odd combination of menu items, but let me tell you, this woman knows her food. It's brilliant I tell ya. Brilliant.

Here's the recipe (from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com. Can also be found in her new book Giada at Home ) I've adapted the recipe for one sandwich.

2 (1/2-inch thick) slices bakery-style white bread (or some kind of Italian bread)
extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
raspberry jam
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 slices fresh mozzarella, drained and patted dry
Kosher salt, optional
1 teaspoon light brown sugar

Preheat the panini press.

Using a pastry brush, brush the bread on both sides with the oil. Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with the raspberry jam. Sprinkle the rosemary over the jam. Cut 2 slices of mozzarella. Place the slices of cheese onto the bread on top of the raspberry jam. Season the cheese with a pinch of salt, if using. 

Place the remaining slice of bread on top, jam-side down. Sprinkle the top with the brown sugar. Press in the panini press for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden and crispy.

Cut the panini in half and eat it.

Yum.