Lunchtime Links for January 14th, 2010

• Project Runway: Starts tonight, guest judge is Nicole Richie.
• Mixed Review: Duncan Hines' Angel Food Cake mix.
• Pizza: Roundup of the DMV's pizza offerings.
• Starbucks: "Healthier" options coming soon.
• Bakerella: S'Mores cupcakes!
• Jersey Shore: Recap of last week's episode.

Love, Love, Love: Imported (Italian) Nutella!

I'm a huuuuuuuuuge fan of Nutella, ever since I was little and would eat it on toast for breakfast (which probably isn't the greatest idea for kids, in retrospect, oh well).  I've heard about how the US Nutella (made in Canada) is different from the real European Nutella- various online sources say that the Italian Nutella has more hazelnuts, less sugar, and less or no hydrogenated oils, compared to the US version.  I never could find the glass jar version- UNTIL NOW, at the lovely Italian Store in Arlington, VA.   

At $4.99 for the small glass jar, it's definitely not a cheap everyday item, but Nutella's the type of stuff that you probably shouldn't be eating every day to begin with, as much as we'd all like to, haha.  The consistency of the Italian Nutella is v. soft and creamy, and there was no oil separation on top like I have seen before with the US Nutella.  It's great on toasted bread, fruit, cookies, pretty much anything you'd want to put chocolate on.  Plus, from reading up on this version online, the glass jar is also a great drinking glass after you've eaten all the Nutella! 

 

Review: Berger Cookie

• I Paid: $5.99 at Harris Teeter
• Description: Chocolate Cremes

I've heard about Berger cookies for a while, but never had a chance to try them. I even looked for them at the Italian Store when I was there for dinner this past weekend, but they were out. As random luck would have it, I passed by a shelf full of them in Harris Teeter the next day, next to the Kosher foods.... (Note to Harris Teeter: WHY?!).

If anyone is familiar with the frosted sugar cookies (Eat n Park Smilies being a popular example), these are very similar, except with a thick fudgey topping instead of the sugar frosting. They aren't pretty big, not much bigger than a Chips Ahoy cookie, but in a good way, because the fudge is so thick it would probably be overkill if it was a giant cookie. A squishy cookie + fudge topping = no textural difference, if you are the type that cares whether or not there is a crunchy/soft ratio in your cookies.

Final verdict? So happy I finally got to try these! They are really tasty and definitely pretty rich, not really a cookie for snacking on, more like you eat one or two and your mouth starts to feel embalmed in sugar. But don't get me wrong, these taste awesome, especially if you are a chocolate fudge fan. Yay for Maryland having a distinct and yummy local cookie!