Nutella banana bliss

Can you imagine life without Nutella?

A food with it’s own cult following, a facebook fan page with over 2 million followers, and so lovingly referred to as “spreadable bliss”,  Nutella is very close to ruling the world.

For those not familiar with this delight in a jar, Nutella, created in the 1940’s, was the brainchild of Pietro Ferrero. During WW2, rations of cocoa led Pietro to dilute the cocoa with hazelnuts, which were abundant in the Piedmont region of Italy.  And so a legend was born!

What is Nutella made from today?   The ingredients differ slightly per country, but primarily are as follows: sugar, vegetable oil, reduced fat cocoa, skim milk powder, whey powder, emulsifier, vanillin.   Sadly, not the healthiest animal in the zoo.   If you are looking for healthier alternatives to Nutella, they do exist to some extent!   Check out Choconut, found at Whole foods.

Our desert video today spotlights chef Chef John Simmons from Chef Live preparing grilled brioche Nutella sandwiches with a banana jam, and a dipping sauce made with heavy cream and….Nutella!

Want more?   Drool over these hazelnut and Nutella sandwich cookies from Food and Wine, and check out these Nutella Pinwheel Cookies from food blogger Purple Foodie!