The Los Angeles Times featured this short article about making homemade “nutella.” A fun recipe to make and use to your heart’s content! My husband and I make dessert together every Valentine’s Day so this year we made the homemade “nutella” and served it spread inside crepes with bananas and whipped cream. The flavor of the spread is better the next day so plan ahead!
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
2 c raw hazelnuts
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa*
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
3 T hazelnut oil, I used grape seed oil*
* Available at ATI
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts evenly over a cookie sheet and roast until they darken and become aromatic, about 10 minutes. Transfer the hazelnuts to a damp towel and rub to remove the skins.
In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts to a smooth butter, scraping the sides as needed so they process evenly, about 5 minutes.
Add the cocoa, sugar, vanilla, salt and oil to the food processor and continue to process until well blended, about 1 minute. The finished spread should have the consistency of creamy peanut butter; if it is too dry, process in a little extra hazelnut oil until the desired consistency is achieved. Remove to a container, cover and refrigerate until needed. Allow the spread to come to room temperature before using, as it thickens considerably when refrigerated. It will keep for at least a week.
