Get your Nutella® on for World Nutella Day, 5 February

Get your Nutella® on for World Nutella Day, 5 February

It’s an indulgent nostalgic treat; the spread we grew up with in childhood. Spread on bread or pancakes, dribbled over fresh fruit or even eaten by the spoonful, Nutella® is all about the delicious taste of hazelnut and chocolate, its smoothness unmatched by any of the pretenders.

Originally, Nutella® was created because of the shortage of cocoa supplies following WWII. Pietro Ferrero, an Italian pastry maker, created a sweet paste made from hazelnuts, sugar and just a little of the rare cocoa. Created firstly as a loaf to slice and serve on bread, it was later transformed into a paste called ‘Nutella’, from ‘nut’, the ‘ella’ giving it a soft ending.

French chef, David Humbert from Counter Café & Eatery in Merrimac has risen to the challenge of making a Nutella-enhanced version of his fabulous French toast for World Nutella Day on February 5. The café serves delicious French-inspired breakfast and lunch as well as French pastries and cakes baked in house. Monthly, a celebratory event ‘The Big Table’ shows off the chef’s creativity in a dinner menu.

While Counter Eatery’s French Toast is usually served with caramelised apple compote, preserved wild figs, salted caramel, crème fraiche and toasted almonds, David’s Nutella version shows off fresh berries and Nutella®, the perfect combination for a romantic breakfast. The dish will run as a special at Counter Eatery from 5 – 14 February 2018.

 

French toast with Nutella sauce and berries

6 thick slices of brioche, halved diagonally

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tbsp. sugar

Clarified butter

Nutella Sauce

½ cup Nutella

¼ cup milk

¼ cup cream

icing sugar to dust

¼ cup crushed roasted hazelnuts

1 punnet hulled fresh strawberries or berries in season for garnish

Method

Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.

Heat a lightly buttered pan over medium-high heat.

Place each slice of bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides for 30 seconds each. Drain off excess egg mixture.

Place in pan, and cook in batches on both sides until golden, about 2 – 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine Nutella, cream and milk in a small saucepan. Whisk together over low heat until the mixture is warm and just combined.

Layer cooked bread pieces into a rough stack.

Dust with icing sugar. Drizzle Nutella sauce over the French toast and top with berries & hazelnuts.

Serve hot.

Counter Eatery, Cnr Gooding Drive & Ghilgai Rd., Merrimac Ph: 07 5525 3340

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NOTE: This article was published in The Sun on 6 February 2018.