Nutella is amazing, there are no other words to describe this smooth blend of chocolate and hazelnuts except maybe delicious, wondrous, or absolutely fantastic. No matter what word you use for it, you're probably looking for more ways to eat it. While there is certainly nothing wrong with just taking a spoon and eating it straight from the container, there are a lot of ways you can enjoy chocolate hazelnut goodness. Here are 5 delicious ways to use Nutella.
NUTELLA FROSTING
At first, Nutella frosting should be like a no-brainer; however, anyone who has tried to actually frost something with Nutella has probably noticed one small problem—Nutella is thick. It just doesn't spread well, especially over something delicate like cupcakes.
Fear not, Nutella fans, there is a solution. There are two ways that you can make Nutella spread more easily. The first is by mixing equal parts Nutella and regular frosting. The regular frosting should, in effect, dilute the Nutella enough that it will glide easily over a delicate baked good.
Not only that, but you can have fun with the frostings that you mix with the Nutella. You can always do plain chocolate, or you can try to mix nutty Nutella with fruity strawberry, flavorful coconut, or whatever your heart's content.
The other solution is to melt the Nutella slightly by putting it in a microwave for 30 to 40 seconds, stirring, and nuking again for another 30 to 40 seconds. This will definitely cause the Nutella to spread more easily and provides the most concentrated Nutella flavor.
NUTELLA TRUFFLES
Making truffles takes advantage of the fact that Nutella is so firm, much like chocolate ganache that has set. All you need to do to make truffles is form little balls of cold Nutella (refrigerate the container for 30 to 60 minutes before making the truffles) and roll them in your favorite coating: powdered sugar, cocoa powder, coconut, crushed cookie pieces, etc.
NUTELLA CHEESECAKE
Got a favorite cheesecake recipe? Why not make it a chocolaty Nutella cheesecake by melting a cup of Nutella in the microwave?
To do this, put the Nutella in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds, stir, microwave again for 30 to 40 seconds, stir, etc., until the Nutella has the consistency of chocolate syrup (note: this is far more liquid than what you would do for frosting, which can remain relatively thick). Pour the melted Nutella into the cheesecake batter, or on top of the cheesecake before baking.
NUTELLA CHOCOLATE MARTINI
Have some melted Nutella left over? Rim a martini glass with Nutella and then pour a tablespoon of melted Nutella, a shot of vodka, a shot of chocolate liqueur, and a tablespoon of heavy cream into a shaker; shake; pour into the glass and top with a drizzle of melted Nutella.
NUTELLA ICE CREAM SURPRISE
Ice cream cones are great, Nutella ice cream cones are even better. Pour some melted Nutella into the bottom of an ice cream cone, add a scoop of ice cream and drizzle a bit more Nutella over the ice cream. Eat and enjoy.
