Chocolate Hazelnut spread...Or, Heaven in a jar

Who doesn't love Nutella? I first had it sometime in college or shortly thereafter. It apparently first became available in the US back in 1983, but I suspect it was only available in speciality markets at that time. Fortunately, it seems to have gone more mainstream, with most grocery stores maintaining a decent stock. Hallelujah!


According to the Nutella USA website, Pietro Ferrero created Nutella during hard times in Italy during WWII.  Chocolate was quite expensive so he used ground-up hazelnuts to add substance and flavor so he could reduce the proportion of chocolate needed.  Signore, I salute your ingenuity!

When my family visited Italy (Easter 2008), Nutella covered the streets. Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but it's safe to say that Nutella was part of my food pyramid for 9 days. I made breakfast into a three course meal: Cappucino, proscuitto and cheese, then Nutella and toast. Yum. We also ate lots of gelato, either in the afternoon or while on a walk after dinner. I alternated between a Nutella & fragola (strawberry) combo and a Nutella & pistacchio combo. I may have also taken an extra single serving tub of Nutella from breakfast for a snack. Do you see the theme?


Now, while Nutella is readily available round these parts, and not terribly expensive, I was feeling ambitious and wanted to see if I could replicate its awesomeness.  I quickly found a recipe from the LA Times, which I very very slightly adapted. 


Turns out, I made a pretty decent Nutella!  It's slightly grittier and perhaps not as viscous as the real thing, but it sure tastes right.


So, just in time for Valentine's Day, I give you Chocolate Hazelnut spread...or, Heaven in a jar. If, by some chance, you have yet to try this delicious Italian treat, I order you to make this immediately. 


Chocolate Hazelnut spread (Homemade Nutella)
adapated from LA Times


Makes about 1 1/2 cups


1 cup raw hazelnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
4-5 tablespoons hazelnut oil, more as needed


Heat the oven to 350 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. This took up most of the time. It's a pain, but you want to get as much of the skins off as you can.


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 3 tbps hazelnut 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, slowly drizzle in more hazelnut oil until the desired consistency is achieved.  I ended up using about 65mL, or somewhere between 4 and 5 tbsp. 

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.