How can I harden Nutella?

[msrisotto]

I'm thinking of topping my flapjack with a layer of Nutella. As it is though, it'll be too soft so I want to harden it, changing the flavour as little as possible. Would adding melted butter harden up? Or a few dark chocolate pieces? Any ideas?

A quick google suggests i'm on a hiding to nothing, right?

Flapjack is delicious on it's own, I think Nutella would make it too rich. I'd just leave it plain.

Chilling it helps, and yes, adding it to melted chocolate (decidedly more chocolate than Nutella) will give you a nice cake covering but maybe not as nutella-y as you're after?

A bit of arrowroot blended through might do it

WTH is arrowroot? I've never heard of it! I make flapjack plain all the time and I love it, however, quite fancy adding something to it.

I'll send you my jar. I spend my life trying to soften it!

But if it's too soft can you not pour it, spread it and whack it straight in the fridge?

Could you bake your flapjack in thinner layers, and have the Nutella on the middle?

make a greaseproof piping bag and just pipe some "drizzles" over it. Much more economical and it won't matter then if it is not set.

Like this, but nutella and flapjack, not icing and cake.

and arrowroot is similar to cornflour, a thickening agent, but iirc, it sets clear, so for jellies and glazes it's preferable to cornflour which remains cloudy.

Stick it in the fridge....I did it once and I had to chip it to get it out.

I'd leave the Nutella and cover in milk chocolate

Stick it in the fridge

Did this once by accident

The result is a lovely, hard truffle

I know it's not quite the same, but you could try melting some chocolate to spread over the top, then sprinkling on some crushed roasted hazlenuts before putting in the fridge for the chocolate to set? Not strictly nutella, but still chocolate and hazlenut?

GOD BIKE! I wish I had thought of that, although might it have melted a run out the middle? It's in the oven right now. Still considering topping.

I like the fridge idea but I am taking it to watch cricket tomorrow so a tiny bit worried it would melt although it's not exactly the Bahamas out there. Do you think it would survive? It would be so very yummy.

Has anyone baked Nutella? How does it behave in the oven?

Stick an ice pack in the box with it?

The chocolate would be fine once it's set. I make Rachel Allen's Chocolate Coconut Bars (from her book Bake) and once it's set the chocolate doesn't melt again.

Once it's set - how do you mean? Set after being chilled in the fridge?

Mine did melt again eventually. After I took it out the fridge and stuck it back in the cupboard

I made a Nutella cake once and it was quite strange after oven cooking-all the Nutella dollops sank to the bottom and went crunchy and the greasiness was too much even for me! I would go for melted chocolate or icing sugar to get it firmer.

oh yes sorry, set as in - after being chilled in the fridge

Don't do it! Flapjacks are far too lovely to ruin with nutella.

Make flapjack / nutella sandwiches iyswim.

Thanks for your advice Pounamu and everyone. I am going to have to put far too much thought into whether i'm putting Nutella on top or not but it seems that if I m, fridging it will probably do