The dairy- and egg-free hazelnut chocolate spread I would like to propose is an easy, quick, and very delicious recipe. It can be enjoyed spread on a slice of bread for breakfast or a snack, or it can be used to enhance, create, and fill desserts, ice creams, etc. Imagine the joy of children eating a homemade hazelnut and chocolate spread that is good and natural, without animal fats, gluten- and lactose-free or milk proteins. Like other recipes on this blog, this one is a tribute to my dad, who often prepared it, especially in recent times. He was a fantastic cook with a remarkable creativity.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 1.5 pounds
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 cup shelled and toasted hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 7 oz dark chocolate
- 1 pinch vanilla paste or extract
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, also gluten-free
Steps
Sterilize the jars and their lids (two 8 oz jars and one smaller one).
Place the blades and bowl of the food processor in the freezer for 15 minutes; then take them out, add the granulated sugar and hazelnuts, and blend until you get a more or less smooth paste, depending on your taste (whether you want to feel the hazelnuts in the spread) (about 2 minutes, using the pulse function to avoid overheating the ingredients).
Then, in a thick-bottomed saucepan, add the water, broken up dark chocolate, pinch of fine salt, and vanilla, and heat everything up.
As soon as the mixture is warm, add the unsweetened cocoa (which will thus dissolve immediately) and the hazelnut paste.
Cook the spread on a small burner on low heat, to prevent burning, and stir continuously, without leaving it, until it becomes thick but still fluid enough (about 10 to 15 minutes) to be poured into the sterilized and dry jars.
Fill the jars up to the neck, close them, and turn them upside down to create a vacuum seal.
Let the hazelnut and chocolate spread cool for 12 hours, and then it will be ready to spread on some good homemade bread, to decorate or fill desserts and ice creams.
The hazelnut chocolate spread is stored in the fridge after opening and should be consumed within 3-4 days.
