Nutella turns 50!

Everyone loves Nutella! In fact, my youngest child just might starve without it! According to mentalfloss.com, one jar of Nutella is sold every 2.5 seconds, was 3rd most "liked" in 2009 on Facebook, and even has it's own day of celebration known as "World Nutella Day" on February 5! In addition, worldwide sales of Nutella exceeds those of all brands of peanut butter combined! Wow! But where did this dreamy concoction come from? We have to thank the Piedmont region of Italy, the country's chocolate-making capital and where the most delicious and abundant hazelnuts grow.

After World War II, there were shortages of cocoa, making chocolate so expensive that most Italians couldn't afford it. As a result, in 1946, Pietro Ferrero began selling his hazelnut/cocoa creation in block form, and called it "Pasta Gianduja." In 1951, Ferrero began selling a creamy version named "Supercrema." In 1964, Ferrero's son, Michele Ferrero, revised Supercrema, renamed it "Nutella," and began selling it across Europe, and eventually the world! Thank goodness he did! However, Ferrero was not the first to create the addictive mixture of cocoa and hazelnuts.

In the beginning of the 1800s, during the Napoleonic Wars, British ships blocked the import of cocoa beans from the Americas to the Mediterranean. As a result, a clever chocolatier named Michele Prochet created the original blend of cocoa powder, milk, vanilla, and hazelnuts. In 1865, Carrafel patented his concoction and named it "Gianduiotto." The chocolate debuted at the annual carnival in Turin, Italy, under the name of Gianduja (also spelled Gianduia), an ode to the masked character that is the official representative of the city! For more, see Romancing the Tin. 

So, with all this talk about Nutella, I want to share this recipe sent to me by my youngest (of course!) sans title, that I am going to call "Fudgy Nutella No Bake Cookies." This recipe is super simple and is devoured as fast as I can make them! My kids go nuts for them and I'm sure you will too! Grazie Nutella!

Fudgy Nutella No Bake Cookies

Makes approximately 3 dozen, depending on size.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup Nutella
3 cups quick Oats

Directions:

Over medium heat, bring the sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter to a boil. Boil for one minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla, salt, peanut butter, Nutella, and oats. Stir until combined. Using two spoons, drop heaping tablespoons on parchment or wax paper and allow to cool. Refrigerate. Eat. Repeat.