This past weekend, we cooked up some tasty treats for a Nutella-themed party. Yes, we dedicated an entire party to the deliciousness of Nutella hazelnut spread to showcase some easy ways to incorporate it into some of our everyday recipes. Having heard of Nutella for years, but never actually purchasing it, I can honestly tell you we're now hooked. HOOKED. Even the Kiddo - the one reason I never picked it up before was because I assumed the Kiddo's pickiness would take over and he wouldn't like it. I was wrong. Oh so wrong. He's devouring it and asking for Nutella on EVERYTHING now. If you've had Nutella before, can you really blame him?
From the second you unscrew the cap and rip off the protective seal, you're greeted by the rush of what I can only assume some versions of heaven may smell like: a box of chocolates. A really good high-end box of chocolates. . . or a chocolate bar dotted with almonds. I actually carried the jar around the house with me just taking in the scent and thinking just how much my dad would like this. If ever there was a liquid hazelnut truffle, this would be the closest thing. Mmm.
We served fruit, yogurt, mini quiches, baby potato pancakes, whole wheat toast with Nutella spread, Nutella and Greek yogurt parfaits using my homemade granola, Nutella mousse and Nutella frosted banana bars. I wanted to share some of the concoctions we created. They seemed to get rave reviews, but I suggest that you try them for yourself and be the judge:
1. Nutella Yogurt Parfait with Homemade Granola
For the parfaits, we layered plain Greek yogurt on the bottom, a layer of homemade granola next, a melted layer of Nutella spread, rasberries and blueberries, another layer of yogurt, topped of with a sprinkle of granola. I like Greek yogurt best when mixed with honey, so we served it with honey to be drizzled (or soaked) on top.
2. Nutella Mousse
I used this Nutella Mousse recipe from The Wicked Noodle that has to be one of the easiest things in the world to make. There's only two ingredients, and it's very light.
Scraping the Nutella mousse bowl clean...
3. Banana Bars with Nutella Frosting
I use this recipe from Allrecipes.com for my banana bars. Love, love, love them. They're a nice alternative to banana bread or banana muffins when you have some ripening bananas laying around.
We can find Nutella at all of the grocery stores near us, and the suggested retail price is $3.49 for a 13 oz jar, although it's on sale at Fairway and Stop 'n Shop right now for $2.99. (Yes, we stocked up.)
A special thank-you to MomSelect for giving me the opportunity to finally try Nutella and sending me supplies to host an event showcasing Nutella-themed recipes. I have no vested interest in either companies.
Oh yeah, and all photos were taken by me, using my Nikon D3000 camera. It was fun pretending I was a food blogger ;-)
