Homemade Nutella
Adapted from Leite’s Culinaria
Makes about 2 cups, enough to fill two 8-oz. canning jars.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup peeled (“blanched”) hazelnuts
12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
2-3 tablespoons canola oil (use more oil if you’re making during colder months, to keep from becoming too solid)
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
PREPARATION
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet until they’re slightly browned, 12-15 minutes. If you can only find skin-on hazelnuts, either use , the blanching method to peel them before toasting or wrap the warm toasted hazelnuts in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to brush off as much of the skin as you can. Let hazelnuts cool completely.
3. Melt the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave at medium power. Stir until it’s smooth and let cool.
4. Grind the hazelnuts and oil in a food processor until they form a paste. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt and process until the mixture is smooth. Finally, add the melted chocolate and process until it’s thoroughly blended.
5. The homemade Nutella will be a little runny but it will thicken as it cools. Use a spatula to transfer it into a jar and wait until it cools to room temperature to seal the jar. The spread will keep at room temperature for a few months.
NOTE: If the Nutella gets too solid, which can happen depending on how warm or cool your storage area is, you can heat it in the microwave for a few seconds, or re-blend with an additional tablespoon of oil to thin it out.