When you hear the word Nutella, you immediately begin to have cravings for it. Such is the impact of Nutella in all our lives. We are sure you would have never come across anybody who dislikes Nutella. You can gauge its popularity across the globe by the fact that it has a day dedicated to itself- “World Nutella Day”, which falls on 5th February. 

 

How did Nutella come into existence?

 

Nutella came into existence in 1946 when Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and the founder of Ferrero created it in Piedmont, Italy. 

It was made because of the rationing of cocoa due to World War II , due to which chocolate was available in limited quantities only.  Hazelnuts are available in abundance in northwest Italy and Ferrero got an idea to add hazelnuts to the chocolate to make the chocolate supply last longer. 

The original Nutella was sold in loaves wrapped in foil. This made it easy to slice it and spread it on sandwiches and it also made for a tasty treat for children. The children loved the combination of hazelnut and chocolate so much that they would throw away the bread and only eat the Nutella slices, which was initially referred to as Giandujot.

In 1951, the Giandujot paste was transformed into a creamier form which was easy to spread and was called SuperCrema.

In 1964, the recipe was improved and the company introduced the first jar of Nutella and thus Nutella was born. 

Nutella entered the Indian market in May 2010 and has been loved by adults and children alike. Currently, Nutella is marketed in more than 75 countries worldwide and outsells all the peanut butter brands combined. 

 

Nutella facts:

 

1. To put every speculation to rest about the correct pronunciation of Nutella, it is New-tella, not nut-ella or nut-illa. 

2. Ferrero buys a quarter of the world’s hazelnut supply each year to make Nutella.

3. Nutella belongs to the Ferrero company, which makes Ferrero Rocher, Kinder and Tic Tac.

4. Furniture designer Daniel Schobloch invented a lock that fit its jar after one of his friends complained about his children stealing it.

5. The ingredient that is used the most in making Nutella is not chocolate but sugar. 

There is more to using Nutella than just spreading it on a slice of bread. Let’s have a look at some finger-licking good recipes of Nutella.

 

1. Nutella cookies:

 

Ingredients:

Nutella 1 ½ cups

Butter, softened 1 cup

Packed brown sugar 1 cup

Sugar ½ cup

Eggs 2 or baking soda 1 teaspoon (for vegetarians)

Milk 2 tablespoons

Pure vanilla extract 2 teaspoons

All-purpose flour 2 cups

Unsweetened dark cocoa powder 1 cup

Kosher salt 1 teaspoon

Flaky sea salt

Method:

1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Scoop 1 tablespoon Nutella onto the baking tray. Freeze it for 1 hour. 
2. In a big bowl, using a hand mixer beat both sugar and butter until fluffy and light. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and mix until combined. After that, add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Refrigerate the dough while Nutella in is the freezer. 
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten it to make a circle. Top it with frozen Nutella ball and cover the dough by pinching it or adding more dough to cover it completely. Repeat the same process with the remaining cookie dough and place the cookies at a distance of 2 inches apart. 
5. Sprinkle flaky sea salt and bake it for 15 minutes or puffed. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

 

2. Nutella mocha smoothie

 

Ingredients:

Whole milk 1 cup

Nutella ½ cup

Instant espresso powder 4 teaspoons

Ice cubes 6

Vanilla ice cream 2 cups

Chocolate curls, optional

 

Method:

1. Combine milk, Nutella and espresso powder and process until blended. 
2. Add ice cubes, and process until blended.
3. Add ice cream and blend until smooth.
4. Pour into glasses, garnish with chocolate curls if desired and serve immediately. 

Indulge in the chocolatey goodness of Nutella this World Nutella Day, and try these two amazing recipes.