The other day, my husband and I had a bag of hazelnuts and no idea what to do with them. I suggested nutella and we found a recipe online to try. The result was so delicious that we rushed to the store for more nuts so we could make it again. The great thing? This version does not contain hydrogenated oils and therefore trans fats. While it’s not low calorie, the calories are coming from heart healthy nut oils. Give it a try! It goes great on fruit, toast, even pancakes.
Chocolate-hazelnut spread
Ingredients:
2 cups whole raw hazelnuts*
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
up to 1/4 cup vegetable, canola or nut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place hazelnuts in a single layer on a
shallow baking pan. Toast until the skins are almost black and the
meat is dark brown, about 15 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through
baking so ensure an even color.
Since the skin is bitter, you’ll want to discard them. Wrap the cooled
hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, and rub until most
of the skins have come off. Don’t fret if you can’t get off all the
skins.
Process nuts in a food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl
occasionally, until they have liquefied, about 5 minutes. At first,
you will get coarsely chopped nuts, and then it will turn into a fine
meal. After a little while, the nuts will form a ball around the
blade, and it will seem like you only have a solid mass. Keep
processing. The heat and friction will extract the natural oils, and
you will get hazelnut butter!
When the nuts are liquified, add in the sugar, cocoa and vanilla.
Slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spreadable consistency. Since
the mixture is warm, it will be more liquidy now than at room
temperature.
Transfer the spread to an airtight container, and store refrigerated
for up to 1 month. For best results, stir the chocolate-hazelnut
spread before using.
Notes:
* Do use whole raw nuts, and toast them yourself to intensify the
nut flavor. Pre-toasted or pre-chopped nuts are often spoiled.
