Fruit of the grill

I believe we have officially entered the beginning of grilling season here in Northern Virginia, from about now until November or so. I'm talking where you drive or walk around and can literally smell the food being cooked on the grills all over the neighborhood. Yeah, you folks who live in this area know what I'm talking about. Where you wonder, "Oooo..I wonder who's cooking THAT?" One of the benefits of living here, I suppose. Something has to offset the traffic congestion, pollen overload and cost of living, right?

Admittedly, my husband grills all year long, and has been known to shovel a path to the grill. NOT so much because we get so much snow, more so the ice on the deck doesn't cause a slipping and sliding problem. "Slip, slide and away...". Hey, that's the song that popped into my head. And now it's in yours too. You're welcome.

Anyway, when we do get snow (you know, that ONE time we get more than 4"), it's totally worth creating a path to the grill for this dessert. And if you have the grill going for dinner anyway, even better. And hey, it's spring, so unless you are in Australia (Hi Alan & Moira!) and heading into winter, there really is no excuse not to try this.

If you are serving this for guests, go ahead and do the prep ahead of time..slice the pineapple, cover and refrigerate until you need it. Toast the hazelnuts, they'll keep. Mix up the mascarpone and vanilla, Nutella (I can't imagine using another brand, so just humor me here) and cream easily reheats. If you prep all these pieces ahead of time, you can easily reassemble them into a wonderfully simple and delicious dessert. It presents well, and I haven't found a person yet that doesn't find it enticing!

(Serves 10-12, Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, available also on http://www.foodnetwork.com/)

Grilled Pineapple with Nutella cream sauce

2 pineapples, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and core removed
2/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
6 tablespoons whipping cream
Olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts

Prepare the outdoor barbecue to medium-high heat. If you do not have a barbecue, you can use an indoor grill pan set to medium high heat. Lightly oil the grill. Grill the pineapple slices until heated through and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes per side. It's important to leave the pineapples on the grill, untouched so that you can create the grill marks.

While the pineapples are cooking, whisk the mascarpone and vanilla in a small bowl to blend. Set aside.

Combine the chocolate-hazelnut spread and cream in a small bowl and stir to combine. Place in a microwave on high for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds to blend well. Alternatively, you can combine the chocolate-hazelnut spread and cream in a small saucepan, set over low heat, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Heat until satiny smooth and easy to pour, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the pineapple slices to a large platter. Drizzle the warm chocolate-hazelnut sauce over.

Dollop the mascarpone mixture atop. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and serve.