The Allure of Nutella's Decadent Journey

This iconic spread has made its way into hearts and onto plates across the globe, transcending generations with its blend of rich hazelnuts and cocoa. But let us delve into the tale behind this delectable creation.

In the aftermath of World War II, resourcefulness were scares, especially products like chocolates were a luxury. Pietro Ferrero, set out to create something affordable and delicious.  Italy's Piedmont region has an abundance of hazelnuts, and Pietro crafted the delightful paste. Nutella was initially called "Supercrema". The product was later renamed Nutella in 1964, a combination of the English word "nut" and the Italian diminutive suffix "-ella," signifying smallness.

Fast forward to the vibrant 21st century, Nutella remains a cherished part of our gastronomic tapestry. As it found its way beyond Italy's borders, it embedded itself in diverse cultures around the world.

World Nutella Day is an unofficial food holiday celebrated on February 5th annually.. It's a day dedicated to the appreciation and enjoyment of Nutella. The holiday was created by Nutella enthusiasts Sara Rosso and Michelle Fabio in 2007. It's a day for Nutella lovers to share recipes, stories, and creative ways to incorporate Nutella into various dishes, desserts, and treats.

The idea of creating a healthier version of Nutella is a topic that has been discussed and debated by both consumers and health experts. Nutella is beloved for its taste and versatility, but it's also known for its relatively high sugar and fat content.

Many enjoy Nutella as an occasional treat and a healthier alternative may not be relevant. But then there are those who practically inhale Nutella at breakfast every morning.

For those who live with the Nutella addicts…or might possibly be one of those themselves. We have done some significant research to come up with a recipe for a healthier version while taste and texture are crucial factors.

We have tried an tested the recipes and hereare our favourite two Healthier Nutella recipes:

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY NUTELLA [OIL + SUGAR-FREE]

Creamy, dreamy and healthy Nutella! It’s rich and chocolatey but naturally sweetened for a healthier alternative to store-bought Nutella.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups Hazelnuts: Choose raw hazelnuts for roasting that have no added salt.
• 1 cup Dates: Medjool dates and remove their pits
• 3 tbs Cocoa powder: Use raw cocoa powder with no added sugar or other ingredients.
• Milk: 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon unsweetened cashew milk or almond milk divided
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract : Use pure vanilla extract to avoid any artificial flavours in your food.
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175C / 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the raw hazelnuts in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place a clean, dry dish towel over top the hazelnuts and rub your hands over the nuts to remove the skins. The rubbing back and forth will force most of the skins loose. Do this for about 30 seconds and remove the towel and continue with your bare hands when cool enough to do so. Don't worry if there are few stubborn skins that wont come off, as long as you get most of them.

Place your skinned hazelnuts in a high-speed blender, or in a food processor and process until you get a smooth nut butter. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed.

Now remove the nut butter and set aside in a bowl. To the same food processor, add the dates and begin processing. Then pour in ¼ cup of the plant milk while the machine is running and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Return hazelnut butter back to the processor, along with the remaining plant milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Pulse several times until blended. You may add an additional 2-3 tablespoons of milk if a thinner consistency is desired.

Store your healthy Nutella in a clean glass jar at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

• After roasting the hazelnuts, work quickly to remove the skins as they come off easiest when warm. Most of the skins will come off easily, but don't worry if there are a few stubborn ones.
• The hazelnuts will take some time to go from whole nuts to nut butter. You will see the nuts go through stages of chunkier pieces, to flour, to lumps, and eventually smooth nut butter. Have patience!
• If you're using a food processor, be sure to give it small breaks to prevent overheating. Processing time takes me about 1 minute, but individual appliances will vary.
• Adding the milk as the food processor runs will produce smoother results. But, if using a blender, add both at the same time and process. If your blender or processor is not a powerful one, pre-soak your dates for 15-30 minutes and then drain for a smoother date paste.
• While both a food processor and blender work well, a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix will yield smoother results. But in exchange, it's easier to transfer the Nutella from a food processor bowl.
• I like the sweetness level of this Nutella as is. However, if you want a sweeter Nutella, you may add a liquid sweetener, to taste, such as maple syrup, date syrup, or agave at the end and pulse a few times to mix through.

Recipe yields approx. 2 cups of healthy Nutella. Store in a clean glass jar at room temperature for up to 1 week. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

Recipe by ~ Rosa from This Healthy Kitchen

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE SPREAD

Still with sugar but the home-made version does not use palm-oil and tastes miles better! It’s super-easy – it takes just 15 minutes , then store it in jars for an indulgent sweet fix that’ll last for weeks. These jars of chocolate spread make great gifts, too!

1. Spread 40g of hazelnuts out on a baking tray.
2. Place in the oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6 for 10 minutes, or until golden, then leave to cool completely.
3. Place the toasted nuts in a food processor with 100g of golden caster sugar. *Sugar plays a role in binding ingredients together, and relies on sugar for structural integrity.
4. Blitz to a fairly smooth paste.
5. Snap 450g of quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids) into a medium heatproof bowl, and rest over a pan of simmering water on a medium heat.
6. Stir until melted.
7. Add 225ml of double cream and 100g of unsalted butter, then stir until smooth and combined.
8. Fold in 1 big pinch of sea salt and the hazelnut paste.
9. Divide between sterilised jars and store for a few weeks in the fridge. Spread on toast to serve.

Recipe by ~ Jamie Oliver