In the February 26th posting, "Sooner Is Better Than Later," I listed Nutella as an alternative to peanut butter for post-run refueling. Well, Nutella fans started coming out of the woodwork! I received several emails from readers praising their favorite spread—Nutella. Then what do I find plastered on the front page of the Life section of our local paper, The News & Record, but the headline "Spreading the Nutella Love." Evidently this little odd-shaped jar of hazelnut and chocolate spread has quite the following. According to the article, Nutella's Facebook page ranks third in number of fans (over 2 million). Only Barack Obama and Coca-Cola have more fans. And guess what tomorrow (2/5) is?— World Nutella Day.Nutella began in 1946 when Pietro Ferrero began grinding hazelnuts to extend his cocoa supply for his bakery. Hazelnuts were plentiful in the region of Italy in which Ferrero lived. This really wasn't anything new. Locals had been doing this to help stretch out the imported product (chocolate) since the 1800s. Ferrero, however, took it a step further creating a spreadable mixture. His creation was officially named Nutella in 1964 and the rest is history.
So in honor of this tasty spread, slather some on a bagel or English muffin after your run or workout tomorrow (Feb. 5).
Love the stuff. I will put it on anything.
ReplyDeleteYou can make your own and have more control over the ingredients. Nutella's loaded with sugar. I use this recipe I found on backpackinglight.com. You can vary the ingredients to suit yourself (I use honey instead of agave syrup, and add cocoa powder).
ReplyDeleteSuper Spackle
I wanted to create a calorie packed goop that I could add to my morning oatmeal, but I found that it’s more enjoyable to “drink” straight from the bottle. I got the idea after a long day when I gorged myself on straight almond butter. It was so satisfying! I wanted to put it in a squeeze tube so I could partake of its goodness without a spoon.
This stuff is so ridiculously rich, that just a tiny bit is unbelievably gratifying.
* 1 cup Almond Butter
* 1 cup Cashew Butter
* 1/4 cup agave syrup
* 1/4 cup macadamia nut oil
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 tiny splash of almond extract
* pinch of salt
Put all the ingredients in a big measuring cup. With a fork and a strong arm, start mixing it all together. This stuff is gloppy and thick. Get it just thin enough that you can get it through a funnel and into a soda bottle. You can add more of the macadamia nut oil if it’s too thick. Actually, a 0.75 liter plastic bottle, the kind they sell at the grocery store for spring water, works the best. The plastic is just a little thinner, and it makes a good “squeeze” bottle. Any time the Super Spackle came out of my backpack, I found myself surrounded by very friendly teammates with their spoons at the ready!
Thanks Jeff! This is awesome! I had wondered about the sugar content in Nutella. This recipe looks good. Can't wait to try it!
ReplyDelete