Chocolate-Hazelnut and Goat Cheese Melt

From Great Grilled Cheese: 50 Innovative Recipes for Stovetop, Grill, and Sandwich Maker by Laura Werlin (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2004)

You'll love how quickly this elegant and rich dessert sandwich can be made. Usually, it's important to press grilled cheese sandwiches with a spatula to flatten them, but with this one, it's important not to press it, or the filling can squirt out.

(Makes 4 sandwiches)

• 8 tablespoons (about ½ cup) Nutella (or other hazelnut-chocolate spread)
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
• 8 slices country white bread (¼ inch thick)
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

• In a small bowl, stir the Nutella and cheese together.
• To assemble: Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place four slices on your work surface, buttered side down. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the four slices so that it is about ¼ inch thick (if it's any thicker, the sandwich will be too gooey). Place the remaining four bread slices on top, buttered side up. Cut off the crusts (this helps pinch the bread together to create a tight seal).
• Stovetop method: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches in the skillet (in batches if necessary), cover, and cook for 2 minutes or until the undersides are golden brown and the cheese has begun to soften. Uncover, and turn the sandwiches with a spatula. Cook for 1 minute or until the undersides are golden brown. Turn the sandwiches gain, and cook for 30 seconds, or until the cheese is soft and creamy. Serve immediately.
• Sandwich maker method: Because of the creaminess of the filling, a sandwich maker does not work for this sandwich.
• Gas grill method: Brush a grill rack with oil and preheat the grill to medium. Follow directions for sandwich assembly. Put the sandwiches on the grill and follow directions for stovetop method.

Photographer: iStockphoto.com/Floortje

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