Hazelnut Chocolate Spread
Gosh - there is so much chocolate in the shops!! With all the Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies packing the aisles of the supermarket, it has been hard to avoid (not that I try!). If you fancy making something chocolatey yourself, maybe even to give as a gift, then this recipe has to be it - hazelnut chocolate spread.
I know there are a million chocolate spreads available, but this one is the best I have ever had. Fact. The roasted golden hazelnuts and quality chocolate take it to a new high.
The recipe will make 3 small jars or 1-2 larger jars (hard to give a guide as it depends on your jar sizes - but you get lots)
Obviously you can slather it all over toast, but you can also use in cakes and frosting, in the centre of truffles or just straight from the spoon!
Hazelnut Chocolate Spread
200g whole blanched hazelnuts
100g best quality milk chocolate
125g best quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa min)
25g golden caster sugar (or white caster sugar)
300ml whole milk
3 tbsp milk powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 180ºC
Put all the hazelnuts into a roasting tray and bake in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown (they will smell amazing). Remove from the oven and allow to cool. If they have a papery casing surrounding the nuts, then rub it away with your fingers to reveal the pale golden nut underneath, as the skins can be a bit bitter.
Transfer the nuts to a food processor and blitz. Once they have become crumb like, remove 2 tablespoons and keep to one side. Continue blitzing until they have broken down fully and have turned into a paste - the consistency of peanut butter. Scrape down the sides to ensure you catch every last bit of the hazelnuts into the paste.
Break both the chocolates into a large heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and slowly stir until melted. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl sitting onto of the saucepan whilst you warm the milk.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk, sugar and milk powder - stiring to combine and until it is almost starting to simmer, then remove from the heat.
Pour the melted chocolate into the hazelnut paste, followed by the hot milk and blitz again to combine.
Finally stir through the vanilla extract, salt and the remaining hazelnut crumbs you set aside earlier.
Transfer to your jars and keep in the fridge until set and firmed up a little.
The whole process is a joy, the roasting of the hazelnuts smells amazing, then the smells of melted chocolate - just YUM. I will never go back to store bought now I have tasted this as it just wouldn’t be the same.
I hope that you have a wonderful weekend, enjoying all the sights of Spring and hopefully some sunshine.
