Life's Short - Dessert First. Let's make it with Nutella

By Michele

A while ago, I found a recipe on the Bon Appetite website featuring a 3-ingredient brownie using Nutella. Great! But, as a brownie snob, I started to have doubts. Brownies should have a rich, pure chocolate flavor, not super-sweet, nor fudgy nor cake-like. Chewy edges and a shiny top round it out. The first time I made the Bon Appetite recipe, I used no add-ins. They were scrumptious. I’ve since made the recipe a half-dozen times and have added walnuts for crunch. Other add-ins could include chocolate chips, mini marshmallows or other nuts of your choice. This recipe is now my go-to method of making brownies. Below is the recipe from Bon Appetite. My version included one cup of chopped walnuts.

Ingredients 5 eggs 1 - 26.5 oz container of Nutella 1 cup of flour (you could substitute with other flours) Preparation 1. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper and then spray with baking spray.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. 3. In a medium mixing bowl beat the eggs. 4. Remove foil covering on Nutella container and microwave for 30 seconds. 5. Add contents of Nutella container into eggs and beat to fully incorporate into eggs. 6. Add flour and lightly mix with spatula until no streaks are visible. 7. Pour into baking dish and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted

into the middle comes out clean. 8. Let cool before cutting. Enjoy with cold glass of milk!

Now that I found the perfect brownie dessert, I moved on to using Nutella to make something savory for breakfast or lunch. Using store bought Belgian waffles, I paired them with crisp bacon, Nutella and slices of orange. The combination of sweet, salty and savory all in one sandwich was a palate pleaser.

Ingredients for two sandwiches 4 Frozen Belgian waffles 4 tablespoons of Nutella 6-7 strips of cooked and crisp bacon Zest of 1 orange Preparation 1. Toast waffles. 2. On each side of the waffle, spread 1 tablespoon of Nutella. 3. Add 3 strips of bacon on one-half of the waffle. 4. Zest half the orange over the two halves of sandwich. 5. Place waffle half without bacon on top of waffle with bacon. Enjoy! Lastly, I made a Nutella Iced Coffee which hits the spot on a hot day! It’s chocolaty with an aroma of coffee. In other words, a deep bold flavor making for a great taste sensation.

Ingredients (for one serving) 1 cup hot water 2 teaspoons instant coffee, decaf or caffeinated* 3 tablespoons of Nutella 5 coffee ice cubes, previously made from left over morning coffee, slightly sweetened ½ cup half and half *You could skip this preparation of one cup of coffee if you already have brewed coffee available.

Preparation 1. Stir together water and instant coffee. Cool coffee in refrigerator for 20 minutes. 2. In a blender combine cooled coffee and Nutella and process until incorporated. 3. In a tall glass add coffee, ice cubes and top with half and half. Slightly stir.