By Samantha Lim, Staff Writer
If you missed IHOP’s Free Pancake Day, an annual event that was held on March 1st, here’s something even better to satisfy your breakfast-food craving. If you did attend Free Pancake Day, try this recipe. My recipe for Nutella Swirl Pancakes combines two foods we can’t get enough of. Word of caution: you might be a pancake snob forever after. Move over, IHOP.
Nutella, the kosher, gluten-free, and lightly caffeinated spread we love, was invented by food connoisseur, Mr. Pietro Ferrero. If you’re keen-eyed, you might have made the connection between Mr. Ferrero and Ferrero Rocher chocolates. A friend from Rome shared this tasty bit of information with me: Mr. Ferrero’s son, Michele Ferrero, is presently the wealthiest man in Italy, his wealth surpassing that of Italy’s president, who ranks second.
As happens with most good things, Nutella was an experiment. In the midst of World War II, chocolate fell among the ranks of ‘luxurious food’ that was strictly rationed. Ferrero needed a way to prolong the limited chocolate supply. On a stroke of ingenuity, he decided that hazelnut paste would do the trick, while also proving a good mate to chocolate. Today, those with peanut allergies have an equally gratifying substitute for peanut butter. Although commonly eaten on bread, Nutella is so versatile that it can be incorporated into other recipes, as you see here.
Only five ingredients are required to make Nutella Swirl Pancakes: pancake mix, milk, oil, an egg and Nutella. Besides the raw egg, these items can be purchased at Dutch Treats with a mere swipe of your Hofstra ID. As for kitchen utensils, set aside measuring cups, measuring spoons, a large mixing bowl, a frying pan, a spatula, a small Ziploc bag and a knife.
Start by warming up your frying pan over medium-low heat on the stove. Stir the pancake mix, milk, oil and egg in a large bowl, but don’t overdo it. Let the mixture stand for 1-2 minutes.
In the meantime, scoop 3 tablespoons of Nutella and ¼ cup of pancake batter into a Ziploc sandwich bag. Seal the bag and squeeze its contents to mix the ingredients. Tear a tiny opening in one corner of the bag. Now you have your own condiment-squeeze bottle.
The stove should be set to low heat now. Gently ladle pancake batter into the frying pan; ¼ cup’s worth of batter will give you medium sized pancakes. Immediately squeeze Nutella over the top of the pancake in horizontal zig-zag lines. Drag the tip of a knife over the zig-zags as if drawing vertical lines, hence creating a marble-like swirl pattern. The Nutella batter takes longer to cook than the original pancake batter, so don’t flip your pancake over too soon, or you will ruin the swirl effect.
These pancakes are a crowd-pleaser as they are visually stimulating and delicious. Serve with a side of sliced strawberries or bananas, and a cup of coffee for a complete meal. Buon apettito!
Nutella Swirl Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup dry pancake mix
Milk
Oil
1 egg
Nutella
(Makes approximately 8-10 medium-sized pancakes)

Nutella Pancakes are a great way to start off any day! (Samantha Lim/The Chronicle)