Forgive me, friends and followers, for being away so long.
In between writing plenty of papers en francais and turning 21, I have discovered coffee’s one true love this semester. It is nutella.
First off, the colors compliment each other quite well. The rich brown of the hazelnut is still slightly lighter than the deep mahogany of a good cup of java. Both emit an aroma that contains hints of nuttiness, but with different flavors coursing underneath. Both have a chemical make-up that guarantees happiness: the chocolate is said to mimic endorphins, and caffeine acts as a stimulant.
And so I’ve incorporated both into my morning meal of the day. I enjoy toast with nutella. When my wonderful mother sent me a loaf of pumpkin bread in the mail, I paired it with that. I feared the sweetness of each would overpower the other, but in the end, both were subtle enough to please my palate.
In a moment of pure decadence, I even spread nutella on a chocolate chip Eggo waffle.
“How awful!” my former roommate cried, upon hearing of this combination. “How can you eat chocolate for breakfast?!”
That tale dates back to Easters of old when my mother told us that the one day each year when my sister and I were allowed to eat chocolate in the morning was on the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. But I digress.
My discovery wasn’t truly that unique. Everywhere in Paris, the most clueless of les touristes can find a crêpe au nutella. In Adam’s Morgan, even, there is a cute café where diners pair the two for a delicious (and cheap) meal.
I’ve seen recipes using nutella for all sorts of goodies: pumpkin-nutella swiss rolls, banana cupcakes with nutella frosting, nutella cheesecake — there is even a World Nutella Day!
In my heart of hearts, I’m just waiting for Starbucks (or some other well-known coffee chain) to get smart and pair up with the makers of this rich, delicious substance. Nutella lattes, anyone? They have something of the sort at a coffee shop on American University’s campus, but a mixture of hazelnut and mocha syrups simply can’t compare with the real thing.
To all you nutella lovers out there, how do you enjoy your sweet treat? Do you make nutella brownies, spread it on your carbohydrate-goodies or simply eat it by the spoonful?
The Littlest Barista Abroad 