I love a good Cookie Swap and two years ago I hosted my first Cookie Swap in Italy that I’m repeating this year for the third time (wanna come?). Here’s how you can get started yourself!

• Suggestions for hosting a great Cookie Swap
• Cookie recipes from Ms. Adventures in Italy
  
• Cookie cookbooks to inspire your cookies
  
• Cookie recipes from bloggers around the web

Suggestions for hosting a great Cookie Swap – Exchange

First of all, to have a Cookie Swap, you need some ground rules, and you need Cookies. First, the suggestions to have a great cookie swap:

1. Timing. I find a mid-afternoon meet-up time for a few hours works well for the swap, so people don’t have to decide if they eat dinner or eat cookies…we know which one they’ll choose but it’s better to make sure your guests can follow-up the swap with some real food – and everyone loves a party that leaves them time to go to a second party that night!
2. Every guest, really everyone, brings cookies. If a couple comes, or a guest brings a friend, that person brings their own batch of cookies, too! This way you keep the ratio of guests to cookies very high. 2 people = 2 batches of cookies. Stick to this rule! That way, the more the merrier is always true.
3. Each guest should bring at least 2 dozen cookies (of the same type). This is the minimum I recommend for a party of a dozen people, so they can sample one at the party and take one or more home. If you’re having a larger party or want to have your guests take many cookies home, you can suggest 4 or 6 dozen, but this can be a daunting amount of cookies for new or only occasional bakers. Decide based on your crowd.
4. Give a prize, and award originality! I like to give a little prize (under $5) as an incentive, and instead of focusing on only the best-looking or tasting, I give a prize for the best-named cookie, so even those ugly cookies can be rewarded if their owner has a bit of creativity. Check out my post on the 1st cookie swap for some examples of interesting cookie names.
5. Encourage your guests to bring more than one type of cookie if they feel like it. Some guests may go gung-ho and make more than one type of cookie – the more the merrier! Just make sure they bring 2 dozen of any type of cookie so others can try it and take it home.
6. Provide take-home containers or plates to display the cookies. The best part of the exchange is taking cookies home and therefore each guest should bring an extra container or you’ll need to provide some. The cookies need to be displayed in something before they are put into containers to take home, so offer your own plates for the display and then let the guests refill the now-empty containers they brought their cookies in.
7. Provide some fun or bubbly drinks, or the classic milk. Sampling cookies is hard work and it can be thirsty work, too. Provide some champagne or prosecco, cold milk, and of course water for your guests to wash the cookies down. Try to stay away from overly-sugary drinks like soda and fruit juice – save the sugar for the cookies!
8. Provide some sort of salty-savory snack (optional). With so much sugar, you might want to provide a counterpoint to the sugar by putting out fresh vegetables or some crackers so guests can take a breather from the sugar. Or maybe not.
9. Holiday music. Need I say more? A little background music does wonders for a party. I usually load up holiday music on my computer and put it to work in a corner. My favorite holiday albums to liven things up – some are even on sale now: Christmas with the Rat Pack, Carpenters’ Christmas Portrait, Elvis Christmas, the 99 most Essential Christmas Masterpieces and many others!

Cookie recipes from Ms. Adventures in Italy

Now, on to the cookies! From my own site, here are some cookie recipes you can try:

and from my site, tips for Decorating Cookies from Cookie Swap Book Author, Julia Usher.

Cookie cookbooks to inspire your cookies

If you’d rather buy a book, here are some books focused on cookie swaps and cookies in general, many of which I’ve used as inspiration or blogged about here!

Very Merry Cookie Party: How to Plan and Ho… by Virginia Van Vynckt	Martha Stewart’s Cookies: The Very Best Tre… by Martha Stewart Living Magazine	Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throu… by Julia M. Usher
The Cookie Party Cookbook: The Ultimate Gui… by Robin L. Olson	Good Housekeeping The Great Christmas Cookie Swap	Cookie Craft Christmas: Dozens of Decoratin… by Valerie Peterson
The Gourmet Cookie Book: The Single Best Re… by Gourmet Magazine	Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mou… by Alice Medrich	Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and… by Anita Chu

Cookie recipes from bloggers around the web

Here are some cookie recipe links from some great websites and blogs I love:

• Cookies at Simply Recipes
• David Lebovitz Cookies, bars & brownies
• Baking Bites Cookie recipes (try some Girl Scout cookies for the swap!)
• Dessert First cookie recipes
• Smitten Kitchen cookie recipes
• 101 Cookbooks Cookie Recipes
• Gluten free cookie recipes from Karina’s Kitchen
• Cookie recipes from Baking Bites
• Perfect Pantry’s favorite cookie recipes
• A Guide to Cookie Swaps & 28 Cookie recipes at Serious Eats
• Cookies at Tastespotting
• Cookies at FoodGawker
• Better Homes & Gardens Favorite holiday cookie recipes
• Washington Post’s 2009 Holiday Cookie guide & 2010

Do you do cookie swaps? Have any suggestions for hosting a successful one? Do you have any favorite cookie recipes to share?

Note: The cookbook and music links are affiliate links to Amazon. The blog author will get 4-6% of the purchase price. Or you can use Google to find another option!

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• The Best Holiday Cookie Swap Ever
• Pignoli Cookies from Field Guide to Cookies for Eat Christmas Cookies
• Fig & Chocolate Oatmeal Bars Recipe from Cookie Swap Book from Julia Usher

While I was brainstorming what I would make for my birthday, mousse kept popping up in my mind. Mousse. Mousse. Chocolate mousse is a favorite, but I wanted to put a spin on it somehow, so I decided to make a Mousse Cake with two different types of mousse: Espresso mousse with chopped chocolate sprinkled through, with a second layer of classic chocolate mousse, all on top of a thin, rough sugared almond crust. The crust I did almost as an afterthought, if I did it again I would praline the almonds first, then chop them up for the crust.

But back to why I like mousse so much.

My mom used to make mousse and when I thought of how I’d make this cake, I looked at some online recipes for comparison but decided to stick with her recipe. It was a taste I’d instantly recognize, and it would be a great combination of combining the old (her recipe) with the new (my new recipe for the espresso mousse).

And an aside about family recipes: one of the first things I did went I moved abroad was start asking my mom for our family recipes. We exchanged several emails and I dutifully saved them and started trying to bring a little home into my new home in Italy. When Google Docs was announced in 2006, one of the first things I did was move our Recipe Book online, and now my mom and I both have access to and edit it. Now when I need a recipe, she just puts it into our document (my mom is literally a high-tech mama, so it’s no sweat for her). If you’ve wanted to start gathering your family recipes, using Google Docs is a great way to do it collaboratively, and you’ll always be able to access it from a friend’s house where you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner, or when you want to make a special dessert that you are missing.

[And I want to hear from you - are you collecting family recipes? Do you collaborate online with your family to do it?]

Chocolate mousse in particular is one of my favorite recipes from my Mom, and I haven’t made it at all since I moved to Italy, but I have no idea why, probably because I haven’t had a freezer big enough to attempt it. I remember when my mom would make a large batch of chocolate mousse, pour them into individual serving glasses, leave a few in the fridge and put the rest into the freezer for later. I always knew we could have more later :)

When I was in elementary school, in 3rd grade to be exact, our class was examining other cultures’ history and foods, and the entire class gathered at my teacher’s house for an international meal. I was assigned France, and I was proud when my mom made this dessert and I brought it with me. There wasn’t a single serving left at the end.

So Mom, you did celebrate my birthday with me. :)

Mousse Cake Recipe

Tips: To make a mousse cake, you’ll need to plan in advance since one layer must set before pouring on the second layer, hours later. I recommend starting the morning before you serve it (that evening) or an entire day before so the mousse has time to set. I put my mousse in the freezer because I wanted to speed things up, and I don’t mind it a little more solid. Line the bottom of the spring-form pan with parchment paper and the sides of the pan, too, else you’ll need to run a warm knife around the edges of the cake before releasing the pan.

If freezing the mousse cake, be sure to take out 15-30 minutes before serving so it can have a chance to thaw. You can also put it in the refrigerator an hour before serving.

I also garnished the top of the cake with a little loose cocoa powder, or you could use pralined nuts or caramel sauce if desired!

Jill’s Classic Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Notes: This recipe is originally 3x every ingredient listed below but I reduced it all because I made two different mousse for the cake. If just making the mousse, I suggest tripling everything (1/3 pint cream becomes one whole pint, 4 oz. chocolate becomes 12oz., etc.), and it will serve 8-10 people.

4 oz. Chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (about 120g)
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. White sugar
1/3 pint whipping cream (it’s 157ml, but I used 200ml)
½ t. Instant coffee
1 egg, beaten

1. Chop chocolate roughly by hand and put into a blender or mini-prep. Pulse lightly to create smaller pieces. Set aside.
2. Whip whipping cream with hand mixer until stiff peaks are formed – but not too long so butter does not form. I suggest using a large glass bowl.
3. Boil coffee, sugar, and water for three minutes. Pour into the chocolate chips in the blender. Add egg quickly, while syrup is still hot (the eggs will be raw in this recipe). If using a mini-prep like I did, I took the syrup off the heat, and poured the chocolate into the pan and then the egg, and used the hand wand to mix instead of a blender. Note: be very careful of splashes as it’s hot!
4. Blend mixture until a pudding-like consistency occurs. Fold this chocolate mixture into the whipping cream and use a rubber spatula to gently mix it.
5. If serving on its own, serve into individual serving dishes – refrigerate for 4 hours before serving, or freeze (can be frozen up to 6 weeks). If making the cake, pour into the mold and refrigerate for several hours.

Sara’s Espresso Coffee Chocolate Chip Mousse Recipe

1/4 c. espresso
1/4 c. White sugar
8oz whipping cream (about 250ml)
1 egg, beaten
50g (2oz. of chocolate) of dark chocolate, chopped roughly

1. Brew coffee, and pour into small saucepan, set aside.
2. Whip whipping cream with hand mixer until stiff peaks are formed – but not too long so butter does not form. I suggest using a large glass bowl.
3. Boil coffee and sugar together for three minutes. Add egg quickly, while syrup is still hot (the eggs will be raw in this recipe). If using a mini-prep like I did, I took the syrup off the heat, added the egg and used the hand wand to mix instead of a blender. Note: be very careful of splashes as it’s hot!
4. Fold this mixture into the whipping cream. Use a rubber spatula to gently mix. Fold the chopped chocolate into the mousse mix.
5. If serving on its own, serve into individual serving dishes – refrigerate for 4 hours before serving, or freeze (can be frozen up to 6 weeks). If making the cake, pour into the mold and refrigerate for several hours.

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• No oil, sugar, or butter Microwave Chocolate Happy Birthday Cake
• World Nutella Day Recipes: Clusters, Mousse and Cupcakes!
• Recipes

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:

• World Nutella Day Celebrates 5th Anniversary on February 5th
• 4th Annual World Nutella Day is on February 5, 2010
• Announcing World Nutella Day 2009: February 5th

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!