Nestled in the hilly province of Cuneo, Italy is the town of Alba, where the confectionary group Ferrero is based and Nutella was born. During World War II, there was a cocoa shortage in the town, as was the case across Europe. Pietro Ferrero, founder of the Ferrero Company, decided to capitalize on the abundance of hazelnuts in the region and mix it together with the limited supply of cocoa, and thus Nutella was born. However, his son, Michele Ferrero—the world’s wealthiest chocolatier before his death last Saturday, is credited for crafting Nutella into the spread we all know and love today. Ferrero also created Ferrero Rocher as well as Kinder Surprise Eggs and Tic-Tac mints, making him “the richest candy man on the planet,” according to Forbes magazine.

So it seems only fitting that the man who was often referred to as the “real-life Willy Wonka” passed away on Valentine’s Day, a holiday defined by chocolate and love. He was 89.

To honor Ferrero and his legacy, our College Gal Cooking recipe this week is for Nutella S’mores Pizza, accentuating what makes Nutella special: it goes with everything.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Nutella spread (but by all means, spread more or less)
1 packet of active dry yeast
2 ½ cups of all-purpose Flour
1 cup of crushed graham crackers
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cups mini marshmallows

The trickiest part of this otherwise simple dessert is making the crust. First, mix a cup of warm water with the active dry yeast. Add the flour, crushed graham crackers, sugar, salt and olive oil. Blend with a mixer, and then roll into a ball and place on a floured countertop, where the dough will be rolled out. Then, transfer the dough to anywhere between a 12-inch circle pizza dish to one that is 16 inches—I would recommend a 15 inch dish to avoid a thick crust that masks the taste of the Nutella. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Once the dough is baked, spread the Nutella uniformly over the entire pizza, then coat with mini marshmallows. Put back in oven for another 15-20 minutes.

Then, drizzle the pizza with chocolate sauce of any brand for taste and decorative purposes. Whipped cream and strawberries can also be added, if desired. Slice into eight pieces, and enjoy!

For original recipe, click here: http://picky-palate.com/2014/07/02/nutella-smores-dessert-pizza/