QueenNormaJean snow?forgetit.. : vanilla is sugar with 10% real vanilla worked into it... and it gives an extra yum to every baking project.

Your question concerning "changing" the Nutella "recipe" (by Ferrero, who makes it): The Short answer's Yes.

They put more sugar and preservatives in it and skimped on chocolate & nuts (what once made up Nutella), because it's easier and cheaper to produce then.

(That's also the reason it has more the color of... you-know-what now and only tastes like sugar.)

The recipe I posted, is by some others like me, who didn't want to be messed with by Ferrero anymore, and began trying to reproduce it with natural ingredients.

As you saw, it contains only 6 ingredients, and all needed: real chocolate, hazelnuts, milk, butter, (vanilla) sugar.

You can easily put it together... and the more organic ingredients you use, the better.

Fat BUT, though.

Since there's no conservatives in it (except the added sugars), you shall use it up in 7 - 14 days max (depending how cold you fridge is), because otherwise it goes moldy.

So I always make a smaller quantity, like a 400 gr / roughly 1 lb glass. And 2 lb. when friends want some, too.

By the way, I already converted 2 Nutella haters.