CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD

this past weekend i decided to tackle chocolate hazelnut spread (aka nutella). when lou and i were doing our 5 year anniversary remembering i had some flashbacks to a trip i took to italy shortly after we started dating, and one of my fondest memories of the trip was eating fresh baked foccacia with nutella and fruit for every breakfast.  heaven in breakfast form!  {more after the jump}

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup hazelnuts

2 tablespoons high quality cocoa powder

2 tablespoons raw honey

1/2 cup coconut milk*

good solid pinch of fine grain sea salt

METHOD:

if you're starting with raw hazelnts like i did, you'll need to tackle getting the skins off first. i made the mistake of following a tutorial on martha stewart that suggested i roast them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and then simply aggressively rub the skins off in a dish towel. as evidenced here, that was a messy and largely unsuccessful venture (why martha, WHY?!).

i asked for help from my instagram friends and there are great suggestions in my comments. i think next time i'll go with this technique. or if i can find them roasted and peeled i might even just skip it all and buy them all prepped!

anyway, you'll want to roast the hazelnuts for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees to bring out their nutty flavor, either before or after you wrestle the skins off them! watch them carefully, you don't want them to darken too much, just get lightly toasted and fragrant.

once the skins are removed and the hazelnuts toasted, it's time to get to the magic making! combine all of the ingredients in food processor or vitamix (you will definitely need more power than a regular blender can provide for this one since it's grinding the nuts). and blend until smooth, starting on low power and working your way up as you go. add more cocoa powder or honey for a sweeter, more chocolatey spread!

* coconut milk can be replaced by melted coconut oil for a longer shelf life, just add oil as you go until you get a consistency you're happy with!

Comments

[jacquelyn | lark+linen]

Homemade nutella? With coconut milk? You're totally and completely speaking my language

[Chase @ The Smell of Summer]

Yum! Thanks for sharing your recipe, I will have to try making it myself sometime soon.

Chase Miller
The Smell of Summer - A Boutique Lifestyle Blog

[kelsey]

i don't like hazelnuts but my boyfriend would adore this
kw ladies in navy

[Nancy]

Wow wow wow WOW.

I am in chocolate heaven.

Nancy
concrete|cocktails

[Christina Storm]

Drooling! Looks amazing! Love your blog :)

The Style Storm
xo, Christina

[Gaby]

Oh my, this looks amazing!

[nadya]

This looks fantastic. So beautifully photographed too (as always). Love you, love your blog, love the new idea of highlighting readers....

[Jennifer @ Sunsets & Swimming Pools]

I was wondering what that was all about. I saw that hazelnut craziness this weekend when you posted it. Looks like it turned out great though!