I can’t believe it’s World Nutella Day again! Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso host “World Nutella Day 2011″ (the FIFTH instlment!) – a day to celebrate, get creative with, and most importantly, eat Nutella. It only seems like yesterday I was whipping up a marbled Nutella cheesecake with molten Nutella sauce (excuse the bad photos on that post…) for last year’s celebrations!
I have to admit my favourite way to enjoy Nutella (apart from, ahem, straight out of the jar) is on fresh white bread. Plain and simple. But I could hardly post that as my contribution to the “party”, so instead I went with a different kind of sandwich – a Nutella lamington. Now, if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you will know that I *heart* lamingtons – having made the classic lamington as well as a “macington” and pumpkin lamingtons. So a Nutella lamington was kind of inevitable, right?
A lamington is basically a sponge cake sandwiched with jam and cream, rolled in chocolate glaze and then in coconut. My version? Sponge cubes sandwiched with Nutella, rolled in chocolate glaze and then toasted hazelnuts. They are, indeed, impressive to behold…
I ended up making these on my school’s first ever snow day on Wednesday, so I had the time to skin and toast the hazelnuts – I am glad I did. I boiled 1 cup of hazelnuts with 3 cups of water and 4 Tablespoons of baking soda for about 3 minutes. The water turned purple-black and frothy from the skins. I drained them and rinsed with cold water and the skins just slipped off. I made sure to air dry them for a couple of hours before I toasted them on a baking tray at 350F for 10 minutes. I cooled them before I roughly chopped them (with a knife, not a food processor – I wanted a more rustic look). Removing the skins removes the bitterness and oven-toasting them adds a lovely crunch to their texture and, of course, a toasty flavour. Check them out up close:
While I was waiting for the hazelnuts to cool enough to chop them, I sliced the pound cake (that I had found in our freezer and defrosted the night before – in my continued attempt to use up what we have in the house) into small-ish cubes and sandwiched them with Nutella. I placed the cubes in the freezer for about 30 minutes to make sure they would “stick” when dipped in the warm chocolate glaze.
The glaze is basically 4 cups of icing sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter and about 2/3 cup milk, heated on the stovetop and whisked until it was smooth. The consistency is pretty runny but this makes for easier dipping!
I used two forks to dip the cubes in and then drained the excess chocolate glaze off before I rolled them in the chopped toasted hazelnuts. I placed them on wax paper then the fridge to harden up a little. To serve, bring to room temperature – remove from fridge about 30 minutes before serving.
Result?
Yeah, these were G.O.O.D. Decadent. Rich. A once a year treat. But oh, so good.
And I couldn’t resist this next shot – I was shooting these in the middle of a snow storm on my porch (yes the neighbourhood kids thought I was crazy) and at one point I had to move some of the lamingtons around to brush some snow off the table. Instead of putting the in-the-way lamington on the placemat I had out there, I accidentally put it on the (empty and clean) snow-filled bowl we sometimes fill with water for our neighbourhood cat…
It’s a snowy day treat for sure!
Happy World Nutella Day – Be sure to grab a spoon and celebrate!
Like Nutella? Head on over to my friend Paula’s new site Bella Nutella! All the cool, Nutella-loving kids will be there 🙂
These look gorgeous! I like it plain from the jar or on a piece of fresh bread just like you, but this looks irresistible! 😉 thanks for sharing! x
I thought it was a step up from the Nutella on bread 🙂
Damn, those look amazing Mardi! I am a freak for Nutella too, I put it in crepes all summer long but this elevates this chocolatey treasure even higher. Beautiful! BTW, love that trick to remove the skins, works much better than the roasting method.
Mmmm – crepes! And yes, this method of removing the skins is so much better!
Wow… these are gorgeous! They look too pretty to eat.
Nearly but not quite!
I literally had to pick my chin up off the floor when I saw these. Are you kidding me??? I’d go flippin NUTS for these. Your pictures made me drool all over myself. Thanks for sharing this Mardi and Happy World Nutella Day 🙂
Oh Renée, so glad you liked them!
These are adorable, and look delicious too! Thanks so much for participating, and Happy World Nutella Day!
Thanks so much for organising!
I’m so sad right now that I can’t have these – they look ridiculously perfect! Happy Nutella Day!
The *do* make a good breakfast!
Happy Nutella Day to you! Gorgeous and delicious what could be better? Fortunately, I don’t have to wait for a snow day to think about making them. Although, I must admit, in our house…. Nutella is often slathered on bread, right out of the jar.
Yes it’s rare that I have Nutella to bake with because I generally eat it all before I get to use it!
These look great! I love this idea. Happy World Nutella Day!
Who knew? These looks great!
My favorite way to eat nutella is spread on a slice of white bread too. But these twist on the classic recipe of lamingtons is really cool! Happy World Nutella Day!
Yup, Nutella on bread = <3
What a beautiful Lamington…and delicious, I’m certain! Happy Nutella Day!
I cannot tell you how many Nutella recipes I have bookmarked in the last week and I told myself- NO MORE. But when I saw these lamingtons, I bookmarked them!!!! They just look sooo good!
Oh you simply have to make these!
Those look delicious!
Wow, cake + nutella + chocolate…what could be better?! I bet this made your snow day awesome. Great job, they look amazing!
It was a nice break from my work, yes!
Making these is definitely the best possible way to spend a snow day. The toasted hazelnut and chocolate frosting look completely decadent.
Yes it’s a great combination!
Yes! These look delectable. I somehow decided this was Nutella Year, and have been celebrating for over a month now. (Is that wrong?) I also like the stuff straight out of the jar, but it’s really good on: sourdough, challah, brioche, toasted english muffin and index finger.
All Nutella all day every day 🙂 Particularly like the application on the index finger 😉
Mardi, these look ridiculous! And by ridiculous I mean drool-worthy. That first image is as good as it gets. Love it! So so good! Wish I had some here. Now.
Ridiculously good, yes!
Hello little darlings, I have a feeling that these little treats would disappear before you know it!
I’ve been celebrating all day with my jar of Nutella!! Love this stuff!
Lamingtons will always remind me of my trip to Aussie land…I had them just about every day in every shape and form while I was there. But I never had a nutella lamington … that won’t be the case for too long though…thank you for the recipe!
Yes the jar is definitely one of my favourite ways to eat Nutella too!
Just to be a bit of a w*nker, I’m going to toss out a wine match:
Pieneau des Charentes – prefereably the red. (Unless you’re reading this in france, best of luck…)
😉
See this is why we keep you around, me and Cleo!
Mardi these are stunning! Thanks so much for including our baby – bella nutella in your post. xoxo
We all heart the bella’nutella!
If the pound cake and nutella don’t entice, the chopped hazelnuts all over certainly will. Beautiful Mardi!
Well thanks Paula!
Your pictures are gorgeous!
I’ve only recently discovered lamingtons, this version sounds incredible! Happy Nutella Day!
Ah you simply must try a lamington soon!
i knew i bought that bag of hazlenuts yesterday for a reason! i am drooling over here at the different layers of yumminess… these are definitely a must-make for the near future. thanks for the tip on how to skin hazlenuts!
It really is a much better way to skin the hazelnuts!
oh Mardi, these look wonderful. I hadn’t seen your previous lamington posts, nor have i heard of lamington to be honest. they are the perfect amount of cake to keep the sugar dosages in check =) is it ridiculously hard to only eat one?!
Yes, it’s very hard to stop at just one! Yes the pound cake does mean it’s not ALL Nutella all the time!
What a great way to eat ur Nutella! I’m SO digging all the Nutella recipes today. Wish I could try all of ’em but this one Oh yeah, I’m making it!
I took one look at these and I was hooked, I had to find out how to make these immediately! Little bite-sized pieces of Nutella heaven!
Well they are actually more than a bite, maybe 2!
Great idea! I will have love to join World Nutella Day but had no idea… next year then 🙂
I will remind you next year Penny!
Mardi it’s things like this make make me think the day will come that Neil will have to fight me for you. I’m pretty tough, you know.. I hope he’s been training.
We can share…
See if you lived closer….
On reflection, I should comment how disappointed I was with the order of your pronouns. Sigh.
Fine. I’ll fight you both for each other. I wonder who Miss Cleo will be going for? I suspect she may be getting stuck into the lamingtons whilst we’re all preoccupied.
She actually does not like chocolate. Imagine!
Oh my what a beautiful dessert! I want to lick my screen. Well done!
THAT is a compliment!
Mardi, I can’t think of anything better way to honor Nutella Day.
Those lamingtons are magnificent!!!!!!!!
Nutella and my home country – a match made in heaven!
Very cool, they look great 🙂 Think these are my fave ideas from the Nutella day postings.
Anna thanks so much!
oh my, that cake looks heavenly!
Congrats on top 9- this looks amazing and who doesn’t love Nutella?!
I know, right?
Gorgeous and mouthwatering Nutella Lamingtons! Hope you had a wonderful Nutella Day! I ate an entire jar to celebrate! 🙂
Sounds like a good plan to me!
This looks just beautiful! And tasty.
Ok … next time I see you I would like some of these. 😉 Beautiful pictures … they make me want to snatch one up and eat it! Love the snow shot, too! I should have thought of that when we had the ‘Great Dallas Blizzard 2011’.
Kelly if only I could send these to you!
Oh these are sooo cute!
Congrats to make it to the foodbuzz top 9:-)
That looks lovely. I love that you made a lamington out of nutella.
It was, as I said, inevitable!
Yum! These look fabulous… Every day should be Nutella Day!
When I was little, it was – Nutella on bread for breakfast every day!
Gimme some Nutella….YUM!
Nutella….YUM!
That look amazing! Love your pictures too! Congrats on making the Top 9!
Thanks – not bad for a snowstorm, huh? 😉
I’m not familiar with lamingtons. Sounds like I’ve been missing out!
Everyone needs to be familiar with lamingtons!
Mmmmmmm… there is absolutely nothing to say except I so want some of these! I am going to make something like this now! Gorgeous! Tempting and decadent, oh yeah!
But so so easy to make!
Oh. My. God.
Want.
Mr P – it’s SO EASY to make these!
LOL, my fave way of eating nutella is straight off the jar too! LOL, this version of the lamington sounds very delicious indeed!
Out of the jar is the best!
love the look of these…bet they taste great too, after all how can you go wrong with nutella! thanks for sharing this great recipe idea, looking forward to giving it a try…mary
Delicious! Simply delicious! Thanks for sharing!