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(CNN) — Spread the joy! February 5 is World Nutella Day.
I shudder to think of a time when chocolate-hazelnut spread on toast wasn’t an acceptable breakfast. We’ll call this period B.N. – or Before Nutella.
During World War II rationing, Italian pastry maker Pietro Ferrero turned to hazelnuts, which were naturally plentiful in Italy, to extend his cache of chocolate. Combined, the two ingredients became what we fondly refer to as Nutella, and breakfast hasn’t been the same ever since.
Nutella has since been incorporated into all sorts of desserts, from brownies to cheesecake to frosting.
Homemade Nutella is much easier than expected. Toasted hazelnuts are buzzed in a food processor until they form a buttery paste. The hazelnut paste is then added to melted chocolate and cream.
My personal favorite Nutella application can be eaten for any meal of the day. You’ll need:
- 2 slices white bread that will hold up to toasting (Sourdough is not recommended because the flavor takes away from the Nutella and, frankly, we can’t have that)
- 3 Tbsp Nutella
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
- Salt to taste
Heat the butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the Nutella over both pieces of toast and sprinkle some salt on each one (coarse flake salt is well worth it here). Press the two pieces of bread together.
Pan-fry each sandwich until golden brown and the Nutella is melty. Finish with a final drizzle of olive oil and a touch more salt, and you’ve got one heck of a Nutella sandwich.
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