While I'm not a big fan of the words, "I have a potluck at work tomorrow. Is there something you think you could make?" I have to admit something. Whether the phrase is "potluck at work TOMORROW" or "potluck at work NEXT WEEK," I'm probably not going to start giving it any real thought until I'm pretty much out of time. That's how I function. If there wasn't a last possible second, I wouldn't get anything done.
So when I finally had that "Aw, crap. I need to figure this out," moment last week, I pulled out my friend Pinterest to look for idea. Instantly, I knew what to do. Peanut Butter Cheese Ball. PERFECT!
Except that when I called Mr. Husband to tell him what he was taking to work, he was all, "Uhhh . . . most of my employees don't like peanut butter."
Ponder that for a moment. I sure did.
He continued on to explain that Eastern Europeans think peanut butter is gross and that it blew his mind because they'll eat Nutella and . . . HOLD THE SHOW. They eat Nutella? Well, then. I got this.
A little substitution and a little creative ingenuity and we had the answer. Nutella Nut Roll.
I made it again so that I could have some of it for when friends came to our house this weekend. Their reaction was the same as the people my husband works with--this is a winner. As in, people yelled at me to put it away because they couldn't stop eating it.
Nutella Nut Roll
1 8-oz package cream cheese (softened)
1 cup Nutella
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup crushed hazelnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Apple slices, graham crackers, Ritz crackers, or animal crackers for dipping
Throw the Nutella and cream cheese into a mixing bowl and beat at low speed with a mixer.
Add the powdered sugar and beat some more, being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally so that the ingredients are well-mixed.
Technically you could stop here. The result at this point is REALLY very good. We won't discuss how I know that. Ahem.
But, if you want to kick things up a notch, place a piece of plastic wrap on your counter. Scoop the Nutella mix onto the center of the plastic wrap and then lift the four corners. Twist them together so that the Nutella glob becomes ball-shaped.
Throw it in the freezer and leave it alone for about an hour. It won't freeze solid, but it will become easier to work with after it has some time to chill out.
While you're waiting for the Nutella ball to solidify a bit, spread the chocolate chips and hazelnuts on a plate.
Once at least an hour has gone by, take the Nutella ball out of the freezer and pull the corners of the plastic wrap down. It's still going to be a little sticky, but don't worry about. Everything will be just fine.
You should be looking at something similar to the photo above. Next, flip it over onto the plate of hazelnuts and chocolate chips. Peel away the rest of the plastic wrap. Roll that Nutella ball around and around and around until it's completely covered. You might have to press a couple of chocolate chips or hazelnuts in if they refuse to stick to the right spot.
Wrap the Nutella Nut Roll in plastic wrap again. Return it to the freezer for at least two more hours. Overnight is even better.
Serve with whatever kind of crackers you would like, or with apple slices. I'm on Team Apple Slices, personally.
