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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread


As promised, here is the recipe for the homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread I used in the Split Level Pudding from the other day. The texture of the homemade spread is rougher than Nutella, but, as much as this may come as sacrilege to the legions of Nutella lovers out there, I think the flavor is worlds better. After tasting the homemade stuff, and then tasting the Nutella again, honestly, I couldn't taste the chocolate or the hazelnut as much as the additives in it. Plus, there is the added benefit of using really good chocolate that you love. If you want a smoother texture, just be less impatient than me and process the mixture for a bit longer. The mixture was also fairly runny when it was warm and took a while to set up into the thicker texture. (You can see the thinner texture below).


Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and peeled
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 ounces good quality milk chocolate, chopped and melted

To toast and peel the hazelnuts, heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toast the hazelnuts in one layer on a baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes, until browned and the skins are slightly blistered. Wrap them in a clean tea towel and rub continuously for a few minutes to remove the loose skin. Not all the skin will loosen enough to come off, just do your best and that's fine. Let the hazelnuts cool before grinding.

To melt the chocolate, chop it into small pieces. Place a heat proof bowl over barely simmering water (not deep enough to touch the bottom of the bowl) in a medium saucepan - about 1 inch should do it. Stir the chocolate a few times and let it melt slowly. Once it is mostly melted, remove it from the heat and let the residual heat finish melting the rest of the chocolate.

Grind the hazelnuts well in a food processor to make a paste. Add the oil, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and continue processing. Add the melted chocolate and blend well. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, to remove any large nut pieces. The mixture will be thin and a little warm. Pour it into a jar and let it cool and thicken slightly. The spread keeps for a month in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Delicious in crepes with some bananas!

29 comments:

Beryl said...

Nutella is my crack. I always justify buying it to bake with but usually end up just eating it out of the jar. Now I'm in serious trouble.

Maria said...

I have to make this! Thanks for sharing the recipe!! I am going to become addicted!

Unknown said...

I've never thought about making my own nutella - this looks way better than the jarred stuff! I must try this.

Jessie said...

this is seriously far better than nutella itself!

Pamela said...

Oh, my!! This looks incredible.

Erin said...

Oh yum! I am definitely going to have to try this!

Sue said...

Isn't the homemade version SO good! More hazelnutty tasting:) I got a recipe from the L.A. times a few months ago and loved it! Yours looks awesome!

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Looks lovely. Home made spreads are always better.
Its funny I can find Nutella here (its expensive) but not hazelnuts so I'm doomed to store bought stuff! :)
I shall try this with other nuts.

Manggy said...

Oh, with respect to the flavor I have no doubt! Nutella is waxy cos of the hydrogenated vegetable oil, ew! This looks worlds better :) And you have two jars, awesome! ;)

Katrina said...

Oh my goodness, some how your blog stopped coming to my reader and I'm SOOO behind on reading all I want to. But I LOVEEEEE Nutella and actually tried making it once with a totally different recipe and it was kinda horrible. Now I can't WAITTTT to go get me some more hazelnuts because I will make this. ;)

doughmesstic said...

Holy CRAP! I was going to post this tomorrow. Different recipe, but still Homemade Nutella. Great minds think alike, they REALLY do! What are the chances??
Now I will wait a few days. :)

Anonymous said...

Oooh...Nutella is so good! I might have to make this for Christmas gifts.

truestarr said...

just a simple and very much to the point "Yu-ummm".

thank you...

Engineer Baker said...

Um, I'd like that crepe. NOW. I've made homemade Nutella before, and you're right on - it's sooo much better than the storebought stuff.

vibi said...

I'm so glad to have found your recipe. I tried some homa made Nutella not long ago... and it turned out to be a disaster, I lost all those great hazelnuts. I hope this one works well... for I'm still beaten up by the other one.

Thanks for sharing!

Dolce said...

OMG! My own "Nutella"... I am definitely trying this this week-end!

Unknown said...

Ohhh, this looks so good. There are so many different things racing through my mind right now that I would LOVE to top with this spread!

Dolce said...

(there is no way this will last for a month though... I will have eaten it well before...)

Snooky doodle said...

oh I love nutella. I m eager to know the taste of this Hazelnut spread. Yummy much more healtier :)

Danielle Mahoney said...

This looks amazing I can't wait to try it

Barbara Bakes said...

Your banana hazelnut crepe sounds fabulous!

Michelle said...

Scrumptious...absolutely scrumptious!

Dolce said...

I made it, I made it!!! I could not wait any longer. OMG this is so GOOD!!!! Thank you so much... I have to blog it now... And will have a link to your post when I do so :)

Anonymous said...

Ohhhhh.... how did I miss this? Nutella may well be my favorite thing on earth. This one's getting bookmarked!

Katrina said...

I made it, I made it, too! Fantastic! Love it. It has more hazelnut flavor and is perfect! Thank you, Holly! As I mentioned, I, like others, made a different recipe and wasted 3 cups of hazelnuts! And the only chocolate was cocoa. Not good.
THIS is good! I'm enjoying a little drizzle over some yogurt with bananas and granola right now! Mmm.

Peabody said...

Oh have mercy...homemade Nutella. Very dangerous.

Anonymous said...

OH my, that crepe is outrageous.

Unknown said...

oh sweet mercy, you would have something incredible on here. I can't wait to make this and gift it to our neighbors and keep 50 jars for ourselves!

ErinsFoodFiles said...

That looks amazing!

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