Decadence

Nutella Level of Deliciousness, scale of 1 - 10

1 being fermented cod liver oil, 10 being bacon 

10.

Level of Eat-Out-of-Jar-with-Spooniness, Scale of 1 - 10

1 being "Whoa, I bought that in October of 2009? Ew, the jar is dusty," 10 being "What happened to that jar of Sunbutter I bought three days ago, wife?" 

Uh, 10. Ahem.

Nutella Ingredients: ingredients: sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced minerals whey (milk), lecithin as emulsifier (soy), vanillin: an artificial flavor. 21 grams of sugar per serving (2 tbsp)

NOT OKAY. But somehow part of your balanced breakfast options!

Connie, Nutella's "Expert Dietician," gives some awesome suggestions for moms. Not.

Q: What is the best breakfast to serve my child in the morning?
Connie: The “best” breakfast is the one that will be eaten! With the unique taste of Nutella®, kids may think they are eating a treat for breakfast, while moms are helping nourish their children with whole grains. A slice of whole wheat toast spread with Nutella®, a serving of fresh fruit and a cup of yogurt or 1% milk provides perfect balanced nutrition to start the day.

Sigh.

So, yep, I made my own. Found the recipe on the CFCC blog from way back, actually. 

Ingredients:

16 ounces hazelnuts (or filbert nuts, they're the same) - without skin saves you a step, with skin is fine

3 tbsp quality cocoa powder or equivalent of melted dark chocolate, maybe more to taste

2 tbsp honey (more if you need it sweeter, you KNOW you don't)

melted coconut oil (to desired consistency, I melted 2 tbsp)

Process:

1. Be happy that Nuts to You is so awesome and sells skinless raw hazelnuts for $7/pound

2. Avoid buying the flavored tootsie rolls and popcorn at Nuts to You. 

3. Ahem.

4. Toast the hazelnuts in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. Hint: tinfoil on your cookie sheet makes cleanup a breeze.

5. Stick tray of toasted hazelnuts in the freezer for a few hours. The colder they are, the less likely your final product will be chunky (unless you like chunky, I'm not judging.)

6. Peel the skin off the hazelnuts if need be.

7. Put in food processor. Process til you get a good cookie dough/nut butter consistency.

8. Add in your honey and dark chocolate. Process.

9. Drizzle in coconut oil SLOWLY to desired thickness. This is the part where you test it. A lot maybe. It has to be right, right? 

10. Pour into empty glass jar or tupperware, stick in fridge.

You may need to stir it or warm it slightly if it hardens up when chilled. No worries.

So, I have a tupperware container of this sitting next to me and I'm not going to lie and say I don't want to faceplant in it. But - this is VERY decadent and not nearly as sweet as Nutella-the-brand. You still get the awesome chocolately-hazelnutty goodness. And without the random creepy/unnecessary dairy addition. And since it's not a monstrous sugar bomb like our branded friend, I swear, it is a little easier to resist going back for more. If, at its core, it's nuts and rich, flavorful, not tooth-achingly sweet dark chocolate, just remember that it's calorically dense and enjoy it.

Things this would be great on: strawberries, apple slices, blood oranges, bananas, spoons, forks, knives and fingers.