May 18th is the 50th anniversary of the debut of Nutella hazelnut spread. Do something special for yourself and fellow Nutella lovers:

Sink your teeth into the Calzone di Nutella ($15), created by chef Chris D’Amico at New York restaurant Gemma in the Bowery Hotel.

A calzone is a filled savory pastry that originated in Naples. It is made of pizza dough and folded to resemble a half-moon.

Chef D’Amico created a dessert version of the calzone, dusted with powdered sugar and stuffed with a combination of rich Nutella spread and creamy ricotta cheese.

At the restaurant, which includes an outdoor café and great people watching, the dessert can be shared by two or more people.

Or, make it at home. Thanks to Chef Chris for the recipe!

Nutella calzones. Photo courtesy Gemma Restaurant | NYC.

NUTELLA CALZONES (CALZONE DI NUTELLA)

Ingredients

For The Dough

 
For The Filling (Per Calzone)

1. DISSOLVE the yeast and sugar in the water, using a large bowl, and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution.

2. MIX in 2-1/2 cups of the flour. Turn dough out onto a clean, well-floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky.

3. PLACE the dough in a well-oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out.

4. COMBINE Nutella and ricotta cheese.

5. PREHEAT oven to 500°F. Stretch out the dough. Place the filling on 1/3 of the dough, leaving the other 2/3 to form the cover.

6. PRESS the calzone tightly closed and cut off any excess dough. Place in oven immediately. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish as desired.

NUTELLA HISTORY

Nutella hazelnut spread, in its earliest form, was created in the 1940s by Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company.

At the time, there was very little chocolate because cocoa was in short supply due to World War II rationing. To extend the chocolate supply, Mr. Ferrero used hazelnuts, which are plentiful in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy.

The spread is a combination of roasted hazelnuts, skim milk and a touch of cocoa. It is an all-natural product: no artificial colors or preservatives.

Nutella was first imported to the U.S. more 25 years ago by Ferrero U.S.A., Inc. Its popularity has grown steadily, and it is the number one selling branded hazelnut spread in America.
 
WHAT IS HIGH-GLUTEN FLOUR?
Different types of flour are milled for different baking purposes. Protein content and gluten content affect the elasticity of the dough.

High-gluten flour has a protein level of 14-15%. Higher protein flour, milled from hard wheat, makes firmer, stronger dough. It is used to make pizza crusts, calzones and bagels, among other items.

All-purpose flour, by contrast, is a blend of hard and soft wheats and has a protein content of 10% to 11%. It is ideal for hearty cookies, like chocolate chip and oatmeal, and some pastries.