This chocolate hazelnut spread needs no introduction. A spoonful of this will lift up your bread, dress up your ice cream, and even take you through a breakup. It is amazing, and this coming from a person who isn't into chocolate.
A jar of Nutella won't even last a week in my kitchen, but nowadays it just makes me sad. Since I'm getting married, I'm on a diet and its just impossible having just one spoon of this stuff. Which got me thinking, why not make my own Nutella, and try making a healthier' version? The important word being try! How you may ask? I've replaced milk chocolate with dark and palm oil with olive oil.
My dad got me some hazelnuts from his trip to Abu Dhabi, and I know its not easily available in India, but unfortunately there's no substitute.
Adapted from Buzzfeed.com
Makes a jar full
1 cup peeled hazelnuts
1 large bar of cooking dark chocolate
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbs sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder (co-incidentally I found a hazelnut flavoured powder in my pantry)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
Toast hazelnuts in the oven for 10-15mins at 130 degrees Celsius. Set aside and let them cool completely. Melt chocolate in the microwave and stir till smooth.
Grind hazelnuts with oil until they form a paste. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla & salt and blend till mixture is smooth. Lastly add the melted chocolate and process till combined.
Transfer to a jar and wait till it cools to room temperature before putting the lid. Since no milk/cream is used, the spread will last at room temperature for few months (if it lasts that long!)
Note: I was concerned that my spread was too runny, but give it time to set and its just the right spreadable texture.
Update:
People from Mumbai attempting to make this: I managed to find Hazelnuts at Haiko supermarket in Powai, all Hypercity outlets and ofcourse Crawford Market.
