Nutella Day Recipe: Healthy-ish Peanut Butter & Nutty Nutella Balls

This recipe really needs no introduction. Not only do these little chocolate balls of goodness taste good, they are also healthy - would you believe it? These are the answer to having a healthy yet naughty snack during the day, an after dinner treat and they are a great alternative to snacking on certain things throughout the day like hmmm, I don't know...mint slice biscuits! Not only are these treats yummy and healthy-ish, they are a snack to make. This recipe makes 10 and should only take you 5 mins to make plus around an hour to set in the fridge. 

Ingredients 

1tbs Chia seeds – white or black, either are fine.

3tbs Oat Meal

5tbs Sunflower Kernals

1tbs Nutella

1tbs Whipped Peanut Butter – Normal peanut butter will work too

How to

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and then add in the Nutella and peanut butter. 

Combine until it makes an even sticky consistency that can be rolled into balls. 

Once your balls are done, you can either leave them plain (although they tend to be a little sticky) or you can roll them in toppings. I rolled mine: Oat Meal, Chia Seeds, Desiccated Coconut (my fav) and Sesame Seeds. 

Then just chuck them in the fridge for an hour to set.

Another good idea for kids is to use sprinkles or a mix of both the sprinkles and chia seeds.

See? What did I tell you - Simple! You wouldn't even guess but looking at them that they are full of healthy nuts and grains.

If you give this recipe a go, let us know! As always you can send me pics on instagram - just hashtag #eatthecatwalk and tag me @jessimalouf. You can send me a message on twitter or tumblr (@jessimalouf) or just comment below! If you have links to your Nutella recipes on your blog, post the link below & I'll check it out.

One more decadent recipe coming soon!

Till next time, stay sweet! 

Xx Jess

Nutella Day Recipe: Banana Cake with Nutella Buttercream

Growing up my Nan would always have a gorgeous banana cake waiting for all us grandkids whenever we arrived at my Nan & Pop's place. I remember the days I would spend in the kitchen with her making the cakes, licking the spoon and watching them bake whilst sipping on our Tea's (I was only 5 or 6 at the time!) From a young age I believed that no-ones banana cake could beat my Nan's but what I didn't realise was that putting Nutella Buttercream on a simple banana cake changes everything! So, while technically it is still my Nan's Banana Cake recipe, I have put my own twist on it just for Nutella Day - and added a few healthier options to the recipe to counteract the large amount of sugar sitting atop the cake!

Ingredients

0.5 cup butter

0.5 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 eggs

2 large bananas (that have gone brown and spotty)

1 tsp bicarb soda

50 mL oat milk

1 cup self-raising flour

0.5 cup wholemeal flour (optional, if not using just replace with self-raising flour)

Note: Regular full cream cows milk will work perfectly fine, I just decided to use oat milk for a change & it works perfectly.

How to

In a large bowl cream the butter, then once creamed add the sugar and vanilla essence.

Combine ingredients well before adding the eggs one at a time - mixing one in completely before adding the second one. Mix well.

Mash up both of your banana's and on medium speed combine into mixture. 

Dissolve the bicarb soda into the oat milk (or plain milk) and slowly start to pour the liquid into the cake mixture while mixing on a low - medium speed. Alternate between adding milk and flour to create the perfect consistency. 

Pour into a large greased or lined cake tin and place in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 180°C

I personally never take the cooking time too seriously as every oven cooks at a different speed. The best way to a perfectly cooked cake is to use a baking skewer (typically metal) and insert it into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is perfectly cooked or overcooked/dry and if it comes out with cake on it then it's undercooked. The only way to ensure it's perfectly cooked and not overcooked is to check every 5 or so minutes when the cake has been cooking for around 80% of the estimated time, that way you can figure out if it's perfectly cooked before its overcooked and take it out to cool. 

Leave out to cool for around an hour or two before icing with my Fluffy Nutella Buttercream Frosting. Sometimes I even like to put the cake into the freezer for 20 mins to cool it down faster (because I am impatient - I just want to ice it and eat it!) and it also helps to make the cake just a little more moist. 

(I always struggle with recipes and over/under mixing - so here is a handy little guide for you).

Electric mixer settings

Creaming butter - high (1-2 min)

Adding sugar & vanilla - medium (0.5-1 min)

Adding eggs – low (1-2 min)

Adding banana's – medium (2-3 min)

Adding bicarb, milk & flour - low - medium (2-3 min)

This recipe also works great as muffins! You can also freeze these cakes but just make sure you freeze them before frosting them. 

If you give this recipe a go, let us know! As always you can send me pics on instagram - just hashtag #eatthecatwalk and tag me @jessimalouf. You can send me a message on twitter or tumblr (@jessimalouf) or just comment below! If you have links to your Nutella recipes on your blog, post the link below & I'll check it out.

Another few recipes coming soon!

Till next time, stay sweet! 

Xx Jess

Nutella Day Recipe: My Fluffy Nutella Buttercream Frosting

If by any chance you were living under a rock yesterday, it was World Nutella Day! So basically the best day in the entire year as you can feel absolutely guilt free about eating anything and everything Nutella because you know everyone else is doing it too....At least I think that's how it works? I sure thought so! Whether right or wrong, I set out yesterday with that theory in mind and baked away to my heart (and thighs) content incorporating Nutella in anyway possible. I should probably add that it was my last day to use the kitchen before I move house (in 5 days, ahhhhh) so I wanted to cook as much as I could - I do normally have a life other than cooking all day long...just so you know! 

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am a massive sweet tooth and that I love me a yummy buttercream. Since learning how to make a good one - I cant seem to stop myself making it. So, naturally I thought World Nutella Day would need to have a buttercream for me to add to every other sugar filled baking creation I make! This is my foolproof buttercream recipe and I say foolproof because I have followed so many recipes and made countless batches of curdled, gross looking and oily buttercreams that just didn't work out at all before I figured out how to actually get it right. So here it is and let me tell you, it's super simple! This recipe goes scrumptiously with my Moist Banana Cake!

Ingredients

200g butter (at room temperature, do not melt the butter in the microwave)

500g icing sugar

1tsp cocoa powder

3tbs Nutella (at room temp)

6tbs Cream (This works best if the cream is not cold to touch but just cooler than room temperature. I generally leave it out for an hour or two before cooking depending on the weather).

How to:

Place softened butter in electric mixer and beat it until it becomes soft and creamy.

Add in the Nutella and mix until completely blended with the butter.

Then on a low mix speed add the sifted cocoa powder and icing sugar whilst continuing to mix. The mixture should start to get quite clumpy looking but don't worry, this will all change when the cream is added.

Once the icing sugar has been well combined, add tablespoon at a time of cream, making sure to combine each tablespoon of cream before adding the next.

Mix it on medium for around a minute or so just to make sure it's all combined and fluffy – then you're all done.

(I always struggle with recipes and over/under mixing - so here is a handy little guide for you).

Electric mixer settings

Creaming butter - high (1-2 min)

Adding Nutella - medium (0.5 min)

Adding icing sugar & cocoa – low (2-5min)

Adding cream – medium (2-3 min)

End combining mix - medium (1 min)

Note: If you want a stiffer buttercream for piping onto cupcakes or cakes, I suggest adding an extra 250-500g of icing sugar during the mixing stage or if you don’t want to use the extra icing sugar, you can just add the cream tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you’re after.

This mixture will generously ice one large cake, sides and all or 24 cupcakes. And there is always enough for an indulgent spoonful or two…. or three….

So if you were one of those awesome people - like me -  who wasn't living under a rock yesterday and ate Nutella like crazy (not like me at all..nope, never!), let me know what you made or ate - or made & ate! You can send me pics on instagram - just hashtag #eatthecatwalk and tag me @jessimalouf. You can send me a message on twitter or tumblr (@jessimalouf) or just comment below! If you have links to your Nutella recipes on your blog, post the link below & I'll check it out.

More recipes coming soon!

Till next time, stay sweet! 

Xx Jess

My Top 13 Movies for 2013

Hello Lovelies!

Let me just start this off by saying that I am by far the biggest movie lover I know (apart from my dad!) I'm not kidding when I say I love every type of movie, as long as it's not a creepy horror film (clearly a love I didn't get from my father!) In my life so far there have only been a select few movies that I have hated compared to the hundreds that I have loved. There are so many movies coming out this year that I am already super excited about, but there are quite a few that don't have trailers out yet! So do not fear my fellow movie lovers, I will post a part two movie post a little later down the track once they have been released! Who knows, for this year alone, considering the countless amazing movies coming out, there may be quite a few parts to this post!


Before I begin with my list, I thought I should just let you know what makes the perfect movie for me:

• 
Nicholas Sparks book adaptations - I'm already going to see it long before it's in production and I know I will love it! This includes movies such as The Notebook, Dear John, The Last Song & I am anxiously awaiting multiple others like Safe Haven!
• 
Hot guys + hot fast cars = double drool. Examples: all of the Fast & Furious movies - I am such a big fan of them! I am an absolute car lover and who can say no to Paul Walker? I mean come on.
• Anything with Steve Carell, Jim Carey, Paul Rudd or Jason Bateman = Unlimited laughs and a hilariously funny film!
• Ryan Gosling, Orlando Bloom, Robert Downey Jr or any hot guys for that matter = Man candy and I just cannot say no to that! I will not even care if the movie itself has no plot or if the acting is bad. Examples: Magic Mike - off the top of my head there aren't too many movies with just hot guys...this needs to be fixed ASAP!
• Ryan Gosling + Orlando Bloom + Robert Downey Jr = The greatest movie ever. I would be there...already! I have my fingers crossed that this one day becomes a reality!


Let's be honest I will probably see any movie based purely on it having a hot male lead and there is even more of a chance (which is extremely high already I might add) if there are multiple hot males! Regardless of the plot, if a movie has any of the following actors, rest assure I will see the movie: Ryan Gosling, Orlando Bloom, Robert Downey Jr, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Alex Pettyfer, Channing Tatum, Zac Efron, Bradley Cooper, Cam Gigandet, Garrett Hedland and my most recent love, Sam Claflin who is in the next Hunger Games instalment. Yay! I guarantee the list could continue on for quite a while...I'm a sucker for hot guys, so sue me ;)


Anyways, got a bit off track there...sorry!...No I take that back, I'm not really. Now that you know what I like in a movie (which is basically everything), here is my list of to see movies this year:

All I can say is this year is going to be extremely bad for my savings, or lack there of!

Disclaimer: This blogpost may be harmful to those on a limited internet usage because you may not be able to stop yourself from watching all of the amazing trailers. I apologise in advance! This was the very reason for me not posting this last week when it should have been up as I may - or may not - have used up all of the families internet data...Oops! It was all for a good cause, I swear! 

Safe Haven

It's a Nicolas Sparks book adaptation, so as you already know, I'm practically obsessed! As with any Nicolas Sparks book or movie I know I will have to wear waterproof mascara, enter the cinema prepared with an entire box of tissues and ensure that I will not bump into anyone once out of the cinema!

The Great Gatsby
Ok, so back in my good old high school days I had to read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (which is actually a really good book if any of you are interested!) The movie that we had to watch in class was not very entertaining at all so I am very jealous of all those year 11 & 12 students who will study The Great Gatsby this year and will be able to watch this instead of the old version. Lucky bastards! As I really enjoyed the book and I love the look of the trailer, I know I'm going to really enjoy this. I just love the old era class about it and of course it's a Baz Luhrmann film (you know Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Australia...just a few cinematic greats!) So this one is bound to be one amazing showstopper of a film. 

Now You See Me
Anything that Morgan Freeman narrates or is a part of is a must see. The man can honestly do no wrong and this movie is no different. Just based on the trailer alone, this movie looks both spectacular and well cast with Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Laurent AND Dave Franco. I love movies where every detail is so carefully thought out and it makes for a really complex and interesting story which this movie makes clear it will be. 




The Heat
Ahhhh Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Cops & Comedy....It's everything I never knew I wanted in a movie! This looks hilarious, as does anything Melissa is in, but seriously I am dying to see this movie. Sandra as a cop makes me think of Miss Congeniality only this looks way funnier. 




Identity Thief 
Just the fact that is movie has both Jason Bateman & Melissa McCarthy in it is enough for me. I absolutely adore Jason and you already know how I feel about Melissa, so with this comedy duo powerhouse I can already tell this is going to be a massive hit.




This is 40
Paul Rudd, Check! Leslie Mann, Check! Jason Segal, Check! Hilarious storyline, Check! I really doubt there will be anything in this movie I won't like. The fact that the sequel to Knocked Up, which I absolutely loved, lets me know that this movie is going to be full of laughs. Plus, the scene about the rodents and the starfish makes me die of laughter every time! If you don't know what I'm talking about, you obviously haven't seen the trailer - so just do it.




Iron Man 3 
Well lets just see...There's a great storyline, lots of action, Gwyneth Paltrow is in it, techno suits, drama...I swear I'm missing something? Oh, that's right ROBERT BLOODY DOWNEY JR! I'm really not sure why I find a man as old as my father attractive but honestly I just cant help it, nor do I want to! The same goes for good old Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt & Eric Bana. I for one love the Avenger movies and have loved the prior two Iron Man movies so this is a definite must see for me! 




Warm Bodies
On first seeing this trailer, I was honestly unsure how I felt about it. I didn't know if I liked it and I had a hard time grasping what type of film it was meant to be. After a few more views of the trailer I'll admit that there is something really interesting about this film and I don't think I have ever seen anything remotely similar so I am really interested to see this one when it comes out.




Wreck it Ralph 
No matter my age, Disney movies will always be amazing! Oddly enough, it seems the older I get the more I enjoy watching them. Babysitting is becoming funner as the years pass by!




Chasing Mavericks
I absolutely love movies with a lot of heart and this seems to be full of just that. 



Hansel & Gretel
I'm not quite sure what to make of this fairytale remake trend that's causing a mass bandwagon effect in the movie world but my inner kid inside is just dying to see what the hollywood world can make of some of my favourite childhood stories! Regardless of whether it's a good or bad movie idea, I'm intrigued. 




The Big Wedding
I love these sorts of movies! It's along the same line as some of my all time favourites - The Family Stone, It's Complicated & Something's Gotta Give. It does also have a stream of well known actors which is always a convincing factor for me.



The Gangster Squad 
It has Ryan Gosling....Drool. Enough said really. Oh & who doesn't love Emma Stone, like seriously? These two really need to do more movies together because Crazy. Stupid. Love is one of my all time favourites and I just love the two of them together in that.

So I hope you liked my picks for the year so far! I would love to hear your thoughts on my picks and also what movies you guys are looking forward to seeing this year? So either comment below or tag me @jessimalouf and #etcmoviepicks on twitter!

Till next time, stay sweet! 

Xx Jess