In the Oven: Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Posting date is May 5th!

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
recipe source: Baked Explorations

Yield: Approximately 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients
2 cups whole hazelnuts
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona)
Dash salt
3 to 4 Tablespoons hazelnut oil (or alternatively vegetable oil)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread the hazelnuts across the prepared pan in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 8 minutes. Toss the nuts, then toast them for another 5 – 6 minutes, until they are fragrant and have turned a dark brown, Let the nuts cool completely.

Remove the skins from the cooled nuts by placing them in a damp towel and rubbing them together. Discard the skins.

Place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor and process for 3 to 5 minutes, until they liquefy and become buttery. Scrape down the bowl and process for 30 seconds longer.

Add the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and 3 Tablespoons of the hazelnut oil, and process again for about 1 more minute , or until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. If it is too thick, add more hazelnut oil, a teaspoon at a time, until the right consistency is achieved.

Use the spread immediately or store it in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container, for up to 2 weeks. Initially, the spread will be wet and thin (perfect for dipping). However, it will thicken considerably in the refrigerator ans have a consistency akin to chilled peanut butter. For spreading purposes, remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before using, it will be more pliable ans spreadable.

Excerpted from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2010 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.