Who would have thought that World War II would bring about the circumstances for the creation of one of the world’s most celebrated spreads? Because of rationing, cocoa was in short supply so chocolate production was limited. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker in Italy, began using hazelnuts to stretch his chocolate supply. And there you have it, a brilliant product was formulated.
Nutella is a creamy, sweet spread comprised mainly of sugar, vegetable oils, hazelnut, cocoa and skim milk. It is a modified recipe of gianduja, a chocolate consisting of almond and hazelnut paste. Nutella has been enjoyed by people all around the globe for decades. In the U.S. we were a little late in the game, being introduced to this sumptuous cream in 1983. It was gobbled up in the Northeast first then trickled out to all other parts of the country only gaining in popularity. Up until this century, Nutella was only available as an exclusive import at specialty markets but now you can find this velvety delight in every grocery store.
Nutella has been an ingredient in many delicious recipes for decadent pastries and desserts. It has graced the top of crepes and waffles and is the rich filling for Ferrero’s scrumptious Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolates. In honor of this splendid day, let’s celebrate by enjoying some Nutella. Whether you spread it on some toast, dip a cookie in it or lick it off a spoon, do your part and have some Nutella! Personally, I like to spread this yummy between a warm croissant and enjoy it with a hot cup of tea. How do you like to eat your Nutella? I will be doing my part and posting some of the tastiest recipes that I have come across that incorporate this fabulous spread.
Learn more about Nutella and get recipes at the official website,
http://www.nutellausa.com/ and get more information about World Nutella Day at
http://www.nutelladay.com/.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of
Flickr
You know you want it! Rich homemade, yes, homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread smeared on a warm bun and topped with delicious bananas and chopped hazelnuts. Snag this recipe for homemade Nutella from Vegan Visitor. Pull a Ferrero and make this yummy spread that has captured the taste buds of everyone around the globe. Thank you Nutella for being so darn good!
Yes, I know it's winter and it's cold but come on, you can't pass up a bowl of creamy homemade gellato. This fabulous recipe from Miss Everyday Italian herself, Giada De Laurentis of Food Network takes 10 minutes to make and doesn't require using an ice cream machine (phew!). So break out the waffle cones and pretend it's a hot July afternoon because you don't want to miss out on this. For the love of Nutella, go make it already! 
I absolutely love cheese and I can't live without Nutella so when I found this super easy, quick recipe that combines the two, I was sold! Valette, a fabulous photographer on Flickr has a great recipe for a Nutella and ricotta cheese creation that is delish! It took me less than 2 minutes to make and it hit the spot. Do you have a minute or two? If you do, whip up this treat and enjoy!
I'm a sucker for cookies. Put them infront of me and they'll disappear in a flash especially of they're rich and chewy. So when I saw the recipe for these Nutella filled cookies at Technicolor Kitchen, I knew I had to try these. Follow this super simple recipe and enjoy these tasty treats on behalf of World Nutella Day!
Believe it or not, the place where I had the absolute best Nutella crepe happened to be a Japanese mini market. Yeah, a Japanese specialty store in the Avenues in San Franciso is where I had the most amazing French crepe with Italian hazelnut spread. Who woulda thunk it? It was an amazing warm crepe with ooey-gooey Nutella generously spread and hazelnuts on the inside rolled in a waffle cone topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled heavily with more creamy Nutella. It was a luscious experience devouring the marvelous creation. Mmm…