World Nutella Day, February 5, 2012

Bring it Forth

More than seventy years ago pastry chef Pietro Ferrero invented Nutella. Originally supplied in Mamma convenient sliceable loaves and called “pasta gianduja” it was made of cocoa and Piemontese hazelnuts. Over time the formula was modified, made spreadable and renamed “supercrema gianduja” and ultimately in 1964 was renamed Nutella. It was first imported to America in 1983, and the rest, as they say, is history.

This delightful nut and milk chocolate concoction even has its own day. In 2007, Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso realized that Nutella deserved some serious recognition, a day for people to proudly eat Nutella directly from the jar. (Well, they suggest use of a spoon.) A day when one might wish to sit for a portrait whilst lovingly caressing a jumbo jar of the cocoa and hazelnut manna. And year by year the number of celebrants has grown. The world is a sweeter, better place. Yes, my thanks go out to Sara and Michelle who “solemnly declare Sunday, February 5th World Nutella Day 2012 – a day to celebrate, to get creative with, and most importantly, to EAT Nutella.”

Today hundreds of bloggers will share recipes that use Nutella – in drinks, cocktails, breads, cakes and more. Go to World Nutella Day to learn more and view the recipe collection. I have two new ones here, a chilled espresso drink and a zabaglione with Frangelico and Nutella cream.

I have also posted links and thumbnails for other Nutella recipes from my archives. If you are looking for a Nutella Poundcake, there is none better than Lauren Chattman’s Nutella-Swirl Poundcake; it set the blogosphere afire. If it is a yeasted coffee cake you are after, try my Nutella Coffee Cake. I do not usually say this, but it is good. Darn good. And for old-fashioned easy to make homey cookie goodness, try my Nutella Thumbprints.

Follow today’s Twitter stream @nutelladay for updates and follow and use the Twitter hashtag #nutelladay to participate.

And be sure to save the gold seals on the jars of Nutella. Use them to redeem cool Nutella stuff!

Shaken Espresso with Nutella

makes 1

At first glance you may think you are making a classic Shakerato, that chilled shaken blend of espresso and simple syrup, but the Nutella in this drink will prevent the formation of the half inch of foam typically seen on top of a Shakerato. Give it a good long shake with cracked ice to aerate and chill, then strain and drink straightaway. This one is not meant for slow sipping. Nope, a couple two, three sips and you are done, and happy.

2 ounces brewed espresso
1 tablespoon Nutella

Pour espresso and Nutella in Boston shaker and combine well, allowing mixture to cool if hot. Add 4 cracked ice cubes. Shake 1 minute. Strain into glass and serve.

Zabaglione con Frangelico e crema di Nutella
Zabaglione with Frangelico and Nutella Whipped Cream

serves 4

Zabaglione (zabaione, or to the French sabayon) is a voluptuous blend of egg yolks, sugar and liquor, traditionally Marsala wine. You can get as creative as you want with zabaglione, starting with a dead simple formula: 1 tablespoon each of granulated sugar and flavoring (fruit juice or liquor) for 1 large egg yolk. Since this is Nutella Day, and Nutella is made with hazelnuts, I grabbed the Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur. The yolks, sugar and liquor are whisked vigorously over a double boiler until thoroughly cooked and tripled in volume. Once cooked, it can be served as is, but since today is THE DAY I whipped some heavy cream with Nutella and vanilla extract and folded it into the finished and cooled zabaglione. Really. I could not resist.

Keep in mind you are cooking egg yolks, and if you expose them to a fierce heat source, they will curdle. I can guarantee it. To achieve a smooth and stable egg cream the use of a double boiler is paramount, providing a gentle heat to cook the eggs. By the way, I use the term “stable egg cream” because zabaglione properly prepared will keep for hours. It will neither separate nor deflate.

For the zabaglione:
4 large egg yolks*
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons Frangelico

For the whipping cream:
3/4 cup heavy cream
scant 1/4 cup Nutella
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

chocolate shavings for garnish

Bring 3 inches of water to a boil in a 4 quart saucepan. Lower the heat to a moderate simmer. Place egg yolks, sugar, and Frangelico in stainless steel bowl set over simmering water, checking that simmering water does not come in contact with the bottom of the bowl. Whisk continuously, keeping the egg mass in constant motion, scraping sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes, until mixture lightens and thickens, holding a ribbon. If you are using a candy thermometer, look for a temperature of 160 degrees F. Quickly remove from heat, scrape contents of bowl into a clean stainless steel bowl and place over ice bath to cool, stirring occasionally to promote even cooling.

While mixture is cooling, whip cream with scant 1/4 cup Nutella and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in clean bowl. Gently fold Nutella whipped cream into cool zabaglione using a large rubber spatula.

Pour zabaglione into serving glasses, top with chocolate shavings and serve.

*Food safety dictates that egg yolks must be cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees F. To remove any concern about salmonella, I suggest using Davidson’s Safest Choice eggs. The eggs undergo an in-shell pasteurization process to render them safe.

From The Adri Barr Crocetti Archives

Nutella-Swirl Poundcake: A Most Blogged About Poundcake

Nutella Coffee Cake

Nutella Thumbprint Cookies

Note: You can click on any picture for a larger image, and to see a slide show!

I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.