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Spread: Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Source of Recipe

From "The Kitchen Pantry Cookbook" by Erin Coopey


Recipe Introduction

"This creamy chocolate blend can double as an ice cream topping, if you don't have any toast! To make Chocolate Pecan Butter, substitute 1 ⅓ cups toasted pecan halves for the hazelnuts."

List of Ingredients

◦ 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
◦ � cup milk
◦ � cup powdered milk
◦ 1 rounded tablespoon honey
◦ Pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
◦ ⅓ cup blanched almonds
◦ ⅔ cup toasted hazelnuts, skins removed (see Note)


Recipe

Place the chocolate chips in a small mixing bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, powdered milk, honey, and salt. Heat over medium heat until the milk just reaches a boil. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the chocolate chips. Do not stir. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the milk and chocolate rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the nuts in a food processor and grind until they are a fine paste. This may take 5 minutes or more of continuous grinding. Stop grinding from time to time to scrape down the sides of the food processor to ensure the nuts are grinding evenly.

Remove the plastic wrap from the mixing bowl and whisk the milk mixture until the chocolate is thoroughly blended. Now, begin to stream the chocolate milk mixture into the food processor. Continue to process until all the milk has been added. Blend until everything is well combined and takes on a glossy finish. If you'd prefer a smoother texture, pour the entire mixture into a food mill with a medium disk or through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any unground bits of toasted nuts. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate. Use within one week.

Makes about 2 cups






❧ Note:
Toasted hazelnuts are often sold with the skins intact. If the hazelnuts you purchase have the skins on them, simply wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and rub vigorously. They don't need to be perfectly clean; just try to slough off as much of the skin as possible.

If you purchase raw hazelnuts, place the nuts on a sheet pan and roast in a 350� F oven for 15 minutes. Let cool and rub off the skins as described above.