We’re already considering what a 5th year anniversary of World Nutella Day might look like – what about you? If you have any suggestions, please feel free to pass them along via comment, tweet @nutelladay, or on the Facebook fan page (8,500 fans and growing!).

Here’s my own contribution: Nutella & Mascarpone Cream Chocolate Tarts

On to the rest of the community…..in no particular order, there were so many of your entries! We’re going to add all of these great recipes to the World Nutella Day Recipes page sometime later this week.

	David Lebovitz pulls out all the stops and makes his own version of Nutella with a homemade Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread. Grazie, David!
	Jasmine from Amore in Cucina made not one, but two entries: treccia / bread braids with Nutella and Cheesecake with Nutella. Grazie, Jasmine!
	Maria and Lisa from The Art of Two Tarts takes 4 simple ingredients and make wonderful Nutella truffles! Grazie Maria and Lisa!
	Paola from In My Life, Banutella Brioche Puddings, little individual bread puddings made with brioche sandwiched with Nutella. Grazie, Paola!
	Meeta from What’s For Lunch, Honey? will inspire you to try her Black Sesame and Nutella Macarons! Grazie, Meeta!
	Robin from MyMelange makes Bite-Sized Amaretti and Nutella Sandwich Cookies. Grazie, Robin!
	Jessica from My Baking Heart made some soft and chewy chocolate fortune cookies filled with Nutella! Grazie, Jessica!
	Jamieanne from The Sweetest Kitchen made a variation of her fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. Grazie Jamieanne!
	Pamela from The Cooking Ninja makes Chinese Steamed buns with Nutella filling. Grazie, Pamela!
	Joanne from Frutto della Passion makes two tasty treats – profiteroles and cannoli! Grazie Joanne!
	Andrea Meyers takes a good thing and makes it even smaller: Mini Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Nutella. Grazie, Andrea!
	Sue from Couscous & Consciousness whips up Chocolate Panettone French Toast Sandwiches – a great way to use your leftover holiday panettone! Grazie, Sue!
	Ivonne from Cream Puffs in Venice tells you to step away from her Nutella and offers you a Nutella Ripple Cheesecake instead. Grazie, Ivonne!
	Cheryl from Have your cake and eat it! tries to figure out what kind of Nutella lover she is and makes Individual Nutella Tiramisu – I can’t wait to be a guest! Grazie, Cheryl!
	Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once gets naughty with bananas and Nutella and wraps them up into Nutella and Banana Pastries! Grazie Haalo!
	Emma from The Cake Mistress makes some “ridiculously decadent” Baci Nutella Cupcakes. Grazie, Emma!
	Deanne from On A Wim drools over her Nutella rolls ready to be eaten. Grazie, Deanne!
	BonnieBeth from Some Pink Flowers writes a lovely oath to Nutella and the country where they first met: France. Grazie, BonnieBeth!
	Nastasha from Domestica makes a Nutella Mocha Frappe and an easy Nutella Tart! Grazie, Natasha!
	Arlene from nyc/caribbean ragazza whips up some French Nutella Toast and uses up some of her precious syrup stock for Nutella Day! Grazie, Arlene!
	Alessandra from La Casin@ di Ale (Ale’s little home) makes her favorite Nutella cake to share with all of you (in Italian). Grazie, Alessandra!
	Kathy from Food Lover’s Odyssey remembers her first time with Nutella and makes a Gianduja – Nutella Cheesecake with Nutella Ganache Topping that looks amazing! Grazie, Kathy!
	Barbara from Art and Barbara Live In Italy swirl some Nutella into a traditional pound cake for a Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake. Grazie, Barbara!
	Kate from the Kat Eye View of the World shares her most essential recipe with Nutella: a spoon! Grazie, Kate!
	Mardi from Eat, live, travel, write whips up a marbled baked Nutella cheesecake with a molten Nutella sauce. Grazie, Mardi!
	Food Hunter’s Guide whips up some orange-Nutella sweet ravioli to not share with her husband! Grazie!
	Wic from delicious kitchen therapy makes some delicious Nutella Cinnamon Bread from scratch! Grazie, Wic!
	Kokomama from My Adventures in Food pipes out some pretty cupcakes with Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting! Grazie, Kokomama!
	Amy from The Petite Filet makes Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting. Grazie, Amy!
	Allie from Zucchero Dolce makes a homemade praline for her Hazelnut Cake with Hazelnut Florentine, Praline Buttercream, and Nutella Mousse! Grazie, Allie!
	Linda from Ciao Chow Linda rounds up some of the world’s fascination with Nutella. Grazie, Linda!
	Stephanie from Plain Chicken posts a roundup of her favorite Nutella creations. Grazie, Stephanie!
	Susan from My Life’s Joys wraps up some Nutella in wonton wrappers. Grazie, Susan!
	Eryn Chandler from Cappuccino Chit Chat suggests milk for her chocolate butter cream frosting on her Nutella cupcakes. Grazie, Eryn!
	Michelle from Culinography takes the chance to make her own Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread. Grazie, Michelle!
	Rachel from Coconut & Lime mixes creamy cream cheese with Nutella in her mini Nutella Black Bottoms. Grazie, Rachel!
	Laurel from Un’Americana in Cucina gets spicy and mixes up some Spicy Nutella and Pequin Pepper Truffles. Grazie, Laurel!
	Karen from Shortbread resists eating from the jar and instead swirls in into rich, buttery pound cake. Grazie, Karen!
	Silvia from “Ao Longe o Mar” shows you what it looks like to have a double pack of 750g Nutella jars up close (in Portuguese). Grazie, Silvia!
	Elaine from The Italian Dish recommends keeping one of her Nutella pound cakes on hand and one in the freezer at all times! Grazie, Elaine!
	James from The Cotswold Food Year ponders the question “Coffee then toast or toast then coffee?” with Espresso, nutella and hazelnut brioche crown Grazie, James!
	Jayka from The Giant Typo ladles out some Nutella crepes and suggests you add some ice cream on top. Grazie, Jayka!
	Christina from Mausi swirls up some Nutella into a Nutella Cinnamon Swirl bread. Grazie, Christina!
	Jen from My Kitchen Addiction rounds up her Nutella recipe favorites and shares a new recipe: Crispy Nutella Treats! Grazie, Jen!
	anna l’americana from Only in Maine adapts a classic and makes it her own: Nutella and Nutella Streusel-Topped Nutella Banana Bread. Grazie, Anna!
	F_A from Seelensturm (soulstorm) makes some really yummy Nutella Mozart Cupcakes with almond marzipan, pistachio marzipan, nougat and chocolate. Grazie!
	Kathleen from Kathleen’s Confections makes something someone should have thought of a long time ago – the CupCrepe – a cupcake built with crepes. Grazie, Kathleen!
	Åsa from Miss Meister’s mat med mera… tells us what it feels like to celebrate Nutella Day in Sweden! (in Swedish) Grazie, Asa!
	Patricia from Brownies for Dinner skips brownies this time and makes vanilla bean Nutella sandwich cookies. Grazie, Patricia!
	Ellen from Mangia, Mangia, Mangia sustains Nutella Day is a holiday she can get behind, and puts it to a test…a Nutella taste test! Grazie, Ellen!
	Joy from Gourmeted tries her hand at “The Asian Ferrero Rocher” and makes Nutty Nutella Mochi. Yum! Grazie, Joy!
	Mary from The Food Librarian celebrates just a little smaller with her Nutella Bread Pudding for World Nutella Day. Grazie, Mary!
	Shannon from Adventures in Food of a Stay-at-Home-Mom rounds up her Nutella recipes for all the fans. Grazie, Shannon!
	Wandering Chopsticks has a spicy Nutella meltdown with her Mexican Nutella Hot Chocolate with Chilies. Grazie!
	Vanessa from Chefdruck Musings asks how do you worship Nutella? And answers: with Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread. Grazie, Vanessa!
	Lizzy from Geek Chica had a breakfast of champions to celebrate the day – with Nutella, of course! Grazie, Lizzy!
	Karen from The Shock of the Old shares a good way to eat Nutella when you aren’t alone, but don’t want to share: the Grilled Nutella sandwich. Grazie, Karen!
	Isabelle from Eat my Cake now takes a crumble and adds a magic flavor to it to give us Nutella Fudge Squares. Grazie, Isabelle!
	Sara from Pixel3v Weblog uses a classic “glass” of Nutella and makes some Sorrisi di Sfoglia Ripieni di Nutella (in Italian) Grazie, Sara!
	Palma from Palmabella’s Passions made a simple but deliciously effective and heavenly Nutella Mousse! Grazie!
	Achim from Cookelani makes a Torta all gianduia (Schokoladen-Haselnusskuchen) (in German), Grazie, Achim!
	Carlotta from Kitchen Confidential mixes both almonds and hazelnuts in a cake called Torta Mandonutella (in Italian). Grazie Carlotta!
	Lindsey from LindseyBee shares where she first fell in love with Nutella – can you guess where? Grazie, Lindsey!
	Wendy from Pink Stripes doubles up the Nutella in her Nutella and Hazelnut Brownies. Grazie, Wendy!
	Tracy from Trailer Park Karma waxes about how Nutella is one of the World’s Most Perfect Road Trip Foods. Grazie, Tracy!

And some more blog posts about World Nutella Day from some of our community:

• Grapefruit from Needful Things gets her weekly Nutella fix with a Grilled Nutella Sandwich. Grazie!
• Avanika from Yumsilicious Bakes guest posts at her friend’s blog with a Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Cake! Grazie, Avanika
• Something Just To Start swirled Nutella into her Pound Cake. Grazie!
• Sarah from What Smells So Good? recommends you indulge once or twice a year with her Home-From School Special! Grazie, Sarah!
• Anali from Anali’s First Amendment wrote a Nutella Day-inspired poem! Grazie, Anali!
• Juicy and Delicious reminds you about World Nutella Day
• Raymond from Holland shows us how to make his famous Raymonds Cocktail – orange juice, passion fruit alcohol, eggs, and Nutella – only for the very brave!

Looking for more Nutella Recipes? Don’t forget to check the World Nutella Day Recipes page for hundreds of recipes, check more pictures in the World Nutella Day Flickr pool where there are some great shots!

Betty Squirrely from Bad Manors Squirrel Diner had her squirrel friends make a special tribute to World Nutella Day: Although we couldn’t use the actual Nutella (squirrels + chocolate = badness) we did EAT all the Nutella, then have the squirrels celebrate the day SAFELY.

See you next year on February 5, 2011!

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• 4th Annual World Nutella Day is on February 5, 2010
• Announcing World Nutella Day 2009: February 5th
• World Nutella Day – February 5th, 2008!
• Nutella & Mascarpone Cream Chocolate Tarts Recipe for World Nutella Day
• Nutella Virgin? 50 Ways to Eat Nutella and Nutella Lover Types

It’s our 4th year celebrating and every year we’re surprised by the level of excitement and participation – be sure to head over to www.nutelladay.com to see what’s happening around the globe! Be sure to come back here and Bleeding Espresso.com on Monday, February 8th for the round-up.

You can also see my recipes for past World Nutella Days like Hazelnut Macarons with Spicy Nut Centers or Nutella Mousse, Cupcakes and Clusters.

This year I was craving little tarts…little chocolate tarts…filled with Nutella, and just in case it wasn’t rich enough for you, mixed generously with mascarpone so that biting into one feels like eating the inside of a Lindt Lindor truffle – you know those truffles with an inside that melts? That’s what this is.

I suggest mixing it up with some salted nuts, too, to contrast and make it oh, so, sweeter.

Nutella & Mascarpone Cream Chocolate Tarts Recipe

Note: this is close to a pate brisee or pasta frolla recipe, with the addition of the cacao powder. You are welcome to make this with a food processor, but it’s important that the mixture is not overmixed or heated up too much as the butter will melt. Try handling it as little as possible. Also, I used mini tart pans, so be sure to roll out your dough to fit your pan.

For the Chocolate Crust
170g flour
30g cacao/cocoa powder
100g cold butter, in small cubes
66g sugar
1 egg and 1 yolk
1 pinch salt

1. Cut the butter pieces into the flour and cocoa mix with a pastry cutter or use your fingers to create the consistency of large crumbs. You don’t want the butter to get too warm and start to melt, so work quickly.
2. Make a well in the middle of the crumb mix and add the egg and extra yolk. Continue cutting the mixture until the egg has been incorporated and distributed. With your hands, start to form a single mass – if the mixture is too crumbly you can add a small amount of cold/ice water and mix that in. You don’t want to work the dough too much.
3. Flatten it into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and preheat your oven to 350F (175 C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin, being careful not to add too much flour as it will change the composition of the dough. Roll it out until it’s between a 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick (around 1cm).
5. Depending on what pan size you’re using, you’ll want to cut the dough to fit or try to fold it in and fix it with your fingers. You’ll want it to come up the sides of the pan evenly, and I like a little to peek above the top of the pan. Otherwise you can put it just even with the pan top.
6. Next, we’re going to blind bake them – cut out a piece of parchment paper larger than the tart pan, enough so that it sticks up above the pan edges, so you can remove it easily later, and fill the center with dried beans or lentils that will help keep the crust from rising and deforming.
7. For small tarts, bake 8-10 minutes, keeping a close eye on them that they don’t burn. Remove the pie weight and return the tarts to the oven for several minutes (3-4). Remove the tarts and let cool completely before filling.

For the Nutella & Mascarpone Cream Filling

Start with a 1:1 mixture of Nutella:Mascarpone. In this recipe I used roughly 125g of Nutella with 125g Mascarpone. I whipped the Nutella for a minute or so with an electronic (whisk) mixer so it would incorporate easier with mascarpone. Mix in the mascarpone and mix for a few seconds until completely mix. Taste, a little, to see if you want to add more Nutella at this point, or more mascarpone.

Refrigerate the mixture for 20-30 minutes, then fill the tarts just before serving, so the crust stays crisp and the filling stays cool. The tarts can be refrigerated after filling, but the crust will lose the snap so it’s best to serve them the same day.

To contrast nicely with the Nutella flavor, I recommend chopping up some salted pistachios or peanuts and sprinkle them on top, or add a little filling to the tartlette, then a layer of chopped nuts, and then the rest of the cream on top.

Did you make something for World Nutella Day?

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• Mini Nutella Tiramisu for World Nutella Day
• Vote for World Nutella Day on Technorati’s WTF
• World Nutella Day – February 5th, 2008!
• Announcing World Nutella Day 2007 – February 6th
• Announcing World Nutella Day 2009: February 5th

With that being said, that’s part of the reason I’ve waited so long to post about Julia Usher’s “Cookie Swap” cookbook – not because it’s not a great book (I’ll get to that) but because a) it was incredibly hot this summer and I didn’t want to heat it up in any way by cooking and b) I wanted to present one of her recipes to you unadulterated or modified and, as you read above, I just can’t.

So we’ll compromise. I’ll post the original recipe, and you’ll allow me to say my final version pictured is sliiightly different from hers, and I’ll tell you why in the recipe notes.

But first, thanks for all the birthday wishes, here, on Facebook, and on Twitter! The winners of the little Pocket Coffee/Espresso packets are: #3 Tina and #10 The Food Hunter! Contact me with your addresses, please!

Back to Cookie Swap. First I have to say that I received this book from Julia’s publisher, but it was one of the most pleasant and effective interactions I’ve had with an author and her PR firm that I really wanted to give them accolades. Brave! Last year I hosted my own Cookie Swap (and I plan to do it again this year) so they did their research and therefore when I got the email my answer about trying the cookbook was a “heck ya!”

After I received the book and its helpful PR packet (well done!) full of author information and suggestions for post topics it was almost like this post wrote itself – of course, after I finally got down to making something from the book when the weather cooled down. (If you’re curious why I’m so excited about a relevant and well-done PR pitch, just know that it rarely rarely happens)

Julie’s book is exactly what the title implies – a book full of cookie recipes and instructions for those who want to host and/or participate in a cookie swap party. The great thing is she orients her book for year-round cookie swaps, so you don’t have to limit yourself to just the winter holidays – she covers themed cookies for Valentine’s, Easter, summer, Halloween, even bridal showers! I think this would make a great gift for your favorite hostess or to try together with girlfriends or even your family.

The cookies in the book are decorated and photographed beautifully, and most of them I will probably never be able to replicate because of their intricacy, but I will have fun trying (and using my Wilton decorating tip set)! Julie doesn’t just make you pick from her recipes, but the back of the book has several basic recipes for cookie dough and frosting/icing you can mold and shape any way you want (see: me!) along with indications for every recipe on the difficulty and how much time it will take.

Tomorrow Julia will share some of her decorating tips for cookies here – stay tuned!

Fig and Chocolate Bars

Recipe by Julia Usher, reprinted with permission
Notes: Please read and try her original recipe for yourself – I used a homemade fig jam I received from a friend as the filling which greatly reduced the prep time, but I will also try her version (yum, dates!) next time. I also used dark brown sugar (the only kind I can find in Italy) and therefore the bars have a much darker appearance than those in the book. I had some spiced pecans on hand so I used those, too. And I omitted the orange extract in the streusel, well, just because.

Chocolate Fig Filling
1 cup coarsely chopped dried figs (preferably Black Mission Figs, stems removed)
1 cup coarsely chopped dried pitted dates (stems removed)
About 2 cups warm water, enough to cover dried fruit
3 Tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons fine cognac
1 1/2 T. finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 cup premium semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Oatmeal Streusel Crust (and Topping)
2 3/4 cups quick-cook oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure orange extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup pecan halves, lightly toasted and cooled, and coarsely chopped

(recipe greatly condensed from the cookbook version – get the cookbook for detailed instructions!)

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9×13 baking pan with aluminum foil. Lightly coat with nonstick spray or butter.
2. Prepare the chocolate-fig filling: Boil the figs and dates in a 3qt. saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain fruit and blot dry with paper towels, let sit for about 10 minutes to absorb excess moisture. In a food processor, add the fruit, brown sugar, cognac, orange zest and spices and process for about 30 seconds or until the mixture is reduced to a smooth paste. Cool completely and stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
3. Mix the Oatmeal streusel crust (and topping): combine the oats, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the extracts. Add the dry ingredients and mix by hand until thoroughly mixed. Stir in pecans.
4. Assemble the bars – press 2/3 of the streusel into the bottom of the pan and put aside the rest. It should be about 1/4-3/8inch thickness. Spread the fig/chocolate filling evenly over the crust. Drop the remaining streusel by heaping tablespoons on top to create a cobbled effect; then sprinkle with the rest of the chocolate chips.
5. Bake about 40 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and dry to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely in the pan.

Cookie Swap is available on Amazon and through independent booksellers.

Disclosure: I received this book from the author but if you’ve read my review policy, I clearly state I do not promise a review for anything sent my direction, and I haven’t been compensated for this post. There are some affiliate links to products in this post, and I will receive 4% if you purchase them through the links. Otherwise, you can just use Google and find them yourself!

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• The Best Holiday Cookie Swap Ever
• Tips for Decorating Cookies from Cookie Swap Book Author, Julia Usher
• Recipes
• Kitchen Sink, Everything Cookies Recipe: Oatmeal, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Walnut Cookies
• Dark Mint Chocolate French Macarons Recipe