Panini di Savoiardi con Nutella, Caffe' & Cocco
NUTELLA.
It's the current magic word at home that replaced miele (honey), the long time protagonist in the kids' choice of spread on their bread. Now, we are buying one jar after the other with an alarming speed.
A mid-afternoon snack is spent eating slices of bread smeared with Nutella. It is apparent from both kids' faces that they're both in love with this hazelnut spread. Sofia, the smaller one, sports a bigger smile with Nutella around her mouth.
Buona, Mommy! (It's good, Mommy!)
There are times when I find three people, not two, in the kitchen,
partying with Nutella. The other Nutella lover at home is my husband.
It's amusing to see all three with brown smears in different places. I
was repeatedly told by my husband that an Italian house is not an
Italian house without a jar of Nutella. Nutella is much loved by everyone that it is also eaten with pizza. We have not been buying any
until our 6-year old son, Riccardo, expressed his love for Nutella. I
am one of the strange ones. I don't eat it because I find it too
sweet. Please don't look at me in a bad way.
After being treated to a Southern Italian homemade pizza (their crusts
are much taller and softer than the Roman ones) dinner at Riccardo's
friend's house, our hosts, Francesco and Sara, took out these savoiardi
(ladyfingers) dessert. Having seen Nutella sandwiched in the middle of the
savoiardi biscuits, I was worried about the sweetness I was going to
encounter. I was surprised that I didn't get the usual sweetness I was
bracing for. Having been dipped in coffee, its bitterness
counterbalanced the sweetness of the Nutella. And rolled on dessicated coconut made this simple dessert very good!
It had been months since that night passed but I still remember the savoiardi dessert we had. I still had some savoiardi leftover from previous dessert recipes I did so I thought of recreating them again for a mid-afternoon snack for all of us. Surprise, surprise, I was a part of the Nutella party in our kitchen for once, thanks to Francesco & Sara's recipe.
For the kids' version, I used caffe' d'orzo (barley coffee drink) because it doesn't have caffeine and normal espresso for us. It's a fast and very simple snack. If you're a Nutella lover like my whole family, go for it! Just remember though, anything in excessive amount is bad for us. This hazelnut spread has a high sugar content.
Buon appetito!
Panini di Savoiardi con Nutella, Caffe' & Cocco
Ingredients:
Makes 4 panini
- 8 savoiardi biscuits
- Nutella
- farina di cocco (dessicated coconut / coconut flour)
- coffee (I used unsweetened espresso. You can also use instant coffee drink.)
- caffe' d'orzo (barley coffee drink)
- Prepare the espresso and let it cool in a bowl with a flat bottom where you can easily dip the savoiardi without breaking them. Do the same with the caffe' d'orzo if using any.
- Prepare a small plate with the dessicated coconut.
- Dip both sides of the savoiardi in the the coffee quickly without making them too wet. You just need them to get very slightly wet. Remember that these biscuits are like sponges. As soon as they make contact with any liquid, they immediately absorb it.
- Spread some Nutella on one side of one biscuit carefully.
- Get another biscuit to close it like a sandwich.
- Roll the finished panini on the dessicated coconut.
