Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread-Gianduja | Allen's Blog

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Feb

2011

On of the most popular bread spreads on the market today is the hazelnut-chocolate flavored spread Nutella. As you probably know, it also is a tad expensive. Whole Foods had the luxurious container priced at $4.99 for a 13 ounce container. That equals 38.4 cents an ounce. Quite a hefty price tag for such a wonderful indulgence. The January 2011 issue of La Cucina Italiana Magazine did us all a huge favor and published a recipe on how to make your own home-made hazelnut-chocolate spread which in Italy is called Gianduja.

I love Nutella. I could eat Nutella on anything and everything. I could spread it on a hot dog or spread it on a pickle. It sure does sound gross, but it definitely tastes good no matter where you put it. I fell in love with Nutella at an early age.I was 12 years old when I hopped a standby flight to Frankfurt, West Germany from Chicago. My mother had all of her family in Germany and I went to visit my Oma and my favorite Uncle Dieter and his awesome new bride Elizabeth. Every morning, I would tag along as Uncle Dieter went to the bakery to purchase some fresh baked rolls for breakfast. Those trips were always a pleasant and entertaining adventure. I can still smell that exquisite smell emanating from the bakery and see, feel and hear the hustle and bustle of the morning traffic. What a fantastic memory!

I remember the Nutella being placed on the table with little fanfare nor with any special announcements. I asked my uncle about it and he nonchalantly assured me to try it because it was pretty good. I always had been a very finicky eater. I opened the jar lid, spread a little on a buttered roll and was forever changed. It was stunningly good. I could not get enough. I stayed in Germany that summer for approximately one month and I know I had Nutella with bread every day. After awhile, friends and various relatives were beginning to make fun of my new found predilection. I didn’t care because it was so good and I was more than hooked. When I arrived back in Chicago, I was informed that Nutella was not sold in the local supermarkets. You probably could acquire it at a specialty food store but you would certainly pay a hefty price. My frugal mother would never stand for that hassle and expense.

Fast-forward 30 years and now it seems Nutella is everywhere. I see commercials. I see billboards. I see it at my local Publix and at the Whole Foods store. Wow! The world finally caught on to my little secret. It is still pricey,yes. Is it worth the price? Of course, no questions asked. But if you get tired of running out and purchasing jar after jar, try creating this hazelnut-chocolate recipe at home. The recipe comes courtesy of Pastry chef Karen Demasco and La Cucina Italiana Magazine. Chef Demasco is a pastry chef at the venerable New York City restaurant Locanda Verde. The hazelnut-chocolate spread is actually quite simple to make.You only have to deal with 5 ingredients and your food processor. I bet in less than one half hour you can have your own batch whipped up. Our test kitchen at foodcreate.com created a batch over the weekend and it was certainly rich and very creamy. It was a close facsimile of the actual Nutella spread. Truth be told, the Gianduja seemed even more light and airy than regular store bought Nutella. Anyhow, be sure to try it for yourself and please give us your honest feedback. I know you will love this recipe and will make it often in the future. Enjoy and good luck!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread-Gianduja

5 ounces hazelnuts (1 cup)

8 ounces good-quality milk chocolate

1/4 cup Demerara sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1. Heat oven to 350*F.

2. Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and rub to remove loose skins (don’t worry about skins that don’t come off).

4. While nuts are warm, combine with chocolate, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor.

5. Purée until smooth, adding oil in a slow and steady stream.

6. Transfer spread to an airtight container. Let stand at room temperature until thickened, about 2 days.

Spread keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month or refrigerated for up to 3 months. To loosen chilled spread, heat in microwave for about 5 seconds.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Note:

Demerara is a natural brown sugar, an English version of turbinado sugar but with a slightly larger crystal size; turbinado is a good substitute.

Recipe courtesy of Pastry chef Karen DeMasco. Recipe published in the magazine La Cucina Italiana January 2011. Photo courtesy of G. Giraldo.

Locanda Verde Restaurant

377 Greenwich St
(corner of N.Moore and Greenwich)
New York, NY 10013
ph: (212) 925-3797