Hot food: Home-made Nutella

What is it?

Italy's favourite chocolate and hazelnut spread is conquering the world, selling 180 million kilograms every year. It's melted into coffee, stuffed into cronuts, slathered on dessert pizza, and pressed into macarons. In New York, an entire Nutella bar has been installed inside Mario Batali's massive Eataly gastroplex, and in France, the courts recently banned parents from naming their daughter Nutella (she will be called Ella instead). People are now so nuts about Nutella, they're making their own very easy and very delicious versions at home.

Where is it?

At Five Dock's oh-so-Italian Cremeria De Luca, the dessert arancini is a tall, golden dome of sweet risotto rice with a molten heart of house-made Nutella. "There are people who love Nutella so much, they put it on their spaghetti," says Luigi De Luca. "We make it with 74 per cent chocolate and organic hazelnuts we import from Italy. It's important when people go crazy for something the way they do for Nutella that you try to give them something of real quality that you have made yourself."

At Peko Peko, a cheeky little Japanese diner in Fitzroy, the Nutella comes oozing out of crunchy deep-fried gyoza dumplings. "I'd seen the Nutella pizzas for kids at my local Italian, so I just did Nutella gyoza instead," says owner Katrina Kobayashi, who uses the original version over house-made. "We warn people they are very rich, and unusually for gyoza, deep-fried. People say they've never had anything like it."

Why do I care?

Because home-made Nutella is incredibly delicious, tastes richly of hazelnuts and chocolate, and has the same magical OMG effect on all who eat it.

Can I do it at home?

Yes, which means you can make it with less sugar and fat than the original. Or, if you're that way inclined, more. It may not be as smooth and creamy as the one you buy, but it's just as addictive.

SOURCING

VIC:
Peko Peko, 199 Smith Street, Fitzroy (03) 9415 9609 pekopekofitzroy.com.au
Also at sister restaurant Otsumami, 257 High Street, Northcote (03) 9489 6132 otsumami.com.au

NSW:
Cremeria De Luca, 845 Ramsay Road, Five Dock (02) 9712 4606 cremeria-deluca.com

Home-made Nutella

To serve, slather on grilled sourdough toast, waffles, pancakes or ice-cream, or serve with croissants or fresh fruit for breakfast.

250g roasted hazelnuts

100g honey

100 ml water

2 tbsp dark cocoa powder

4 tbsp hazelnut or almond oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

Heat the oven to 180C and toast the hazelnuts for 10 minutes. Remove the nuts, wrap in a clean tea towel and rub briskly, to remove the skins. Pick out the skinned nuts, and place in a high-speed blender. Whiz for 30 seconds to break down the nuts. Add the honey, water, cocoa powder, nut oil, vanilla extract and sea salt and process for a good two minutes until you have a thick, smooth puree. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three weeks.

Makes 300g