Our big little girl

Brooke all of a sudden seems so grown up to Gordon and I! Maybe it was her outfit, or the shoes, but she just seems so big now! (All 13 pounds of her--haha). And, don't mind the drool-covered shirt. These days, its rare for something not to be covered in drool. 

For Wendi and anyone else--

Recipe for: 

Ridiculously Decadent Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

1 box brownie mix

1/4 cup ground toasted hazelnuts

1/4 cup nutella

1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

For frosting:

1 lb icing or confectioners sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup ground, toasted hazelnuts

milk

Prepare brownie mix according to packaged directions. Stir in 1/4 cup of ground hazelnuts. Prepare desired pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray (9x13, cupcakes, 2 9-inch rounds). Swirl in nutella. Bake according to directions on box.

For frosting, whip cream until stiff peaks form. In another large bowl, whip butter with vanilla salt, hazelnuts and icing sugar. Mixture will be dry-add splashes of milk until sugar is mixed in (should be fairly thick). Carefully fold whipped cream into butter and sugar mixture until mixed thoroughly. Frost cake as desired. Top with chopped hazelnuts.

Warning! This is extremely sweet! Sometimes, you need a lot of sugar, but for those other times where you just want a regularly sweet dessert, use this frosting:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup ground toasted hazelnuts

Whip cream with sugar and salt. Fold in hazelnuts. Use as desired.