Nutella Shortbread Bars for #SundaySupper

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Nutella Shortbread Bars

Nutella and I have a long, sordid history together. It started when I was living in Florence, Italy for a summer, pining for peanut butter, my favorite medium for stress-eating. Living in another country with 5 housemates had its trying moments and I missed the creamy comfort of Skippy schmeared on a sandwich, warm and melty on toast or sticking to my mouth straight out of the jar. At seven euro a tiny container, I couldn't justify the price.

 

Enter Nutella, the much cheaper, chocolately, delicious hazelnut alternative at only 2 euro a jar. [This was in 2006; I'm sure prices have gone way up since then!]

When first I tasted that creamy chocolate hazelnut spread, I knew our relationship would be rocky. It wasn't that I didn't love its flavor--no, quite the opposite. I loved it a little *too* much--like, within the first week, I lost count of how many times I pulled a Winnie the Pooh and got my hand stuck in the jar. When my roommates finished off half of mine without telling me, I looked something like this.

[I'm not proud.]

Nutella Shortbread Bars

Since then, I've tried to cut it out of my life several times. I twist off the lid with trepidation and within a few minutes find myself with a stomachache and a much lighter jar. I vow never to touch it again but before the thought even finishes, my hand is reaching for the spoon again. After a day or so, well past the point when my family should have called A&E for an intervention, I scrape the bottom of the jar with my finger, hugging each crevice of plastic until there's only the faintest opaque traces of chocolate visible.

I swear it off for months. I claim I've forgotten about it. And then something happens that draws me back again. To celebrate Sunday Supper turning one, the Sunday Supper Team is celebrating by choosing a recipe from the past year and recreating it this week. I was having a ball going through the recipes from previous months, but didn't get farther than October. There, on the screen in front of me, were two of the most dangerous words in my vocabulary: Nutella and Shortbread. Baker Street had Nutella Shortbread Bars for a comfort food theme [fitting, right?] and my eyes wouldn't let me look at anything else until I clicked the link.

Nutella Shortbread Bars

I love shortbread because it's the holy trifecta of baking put in the oven--butter, flour and sugar. Nothing better. The entire recipe is simple and straightforward. It comes together quickly, has a buttery crust and a sweet, gooey, cocoa-nutty filling. I changed things up just slightly by adding ground hazelnuts to the crust for an extra bit of hazelnut (I can't get enough!). I also forgot to set the timer and pulled these out a few minutes before they were done so they were extra gooey. They weren't going to make for a clean and tidy eating experience, but serve warm and top with vanilla ice cream and you're in for an experience!

Nutella Shortbread Cookies

Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: [url href="http://bakerstreet.tv/2012/10/nutella-shortbread-bars/"]Baker Street[/url] [I only made one tiny adjustment]
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 9
Ingredients
  • Crust:
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup toasted ground hazelnuts
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • [br]
  • Filling
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup Nutella
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Grease an 8"x8" baking pan.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together crust ingredients until mixture is combined. Transfer to greased pan and press down evenly into the pan. Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
  4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the filling ingredients, whisking until smooth. Pour over baked crust. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the middle has puffed and just set. [Don't mistake the top looking dry for it being set--that was my mistake. My gooey, delicious mistake.]
  5. Allow to cool completely before serving or, if you don't mind things a bit loose-slash-not-so-pretty (think: the first piece of pie that never looks nice when you serve it), serve warm with ice cream.
  6. Enjoy!

Come celebrate an amazing year of recipes and gathering around the family table! I only joined a month ago, but the past 52 weeks have featured delicious recipes from a talented and diverse group of bloggers. This week is no exception! Check out what everyone's making...Happy Birthday, Sunday Supper!

Sunday Supper Appetizers:

 Sunday Supper Soups and Breads:

 Sunday Supper Main Dishes: 

Sunday Supper Veggies: 

Sunday Supper Desserts and Snacks: 

 Sunday Supper Breakfast Faves:

Sunday Supper Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

I am excited to announce a New Addition:  Tablescape by An Appealing Plan, Anniversay Dinner featuring Cheesecake with Fresh Berries orginally posted by The Messy Baker Blog

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.