[Recipe] Decadent hazelnut 'rawtella'

Last week, we posted a recipe for a Nutella brownie which sparked quite the discussion on social media about health issues associated with excess saturated fat and sugar and Ferrero's sustainability practices.

So, for anyone addicted to that decadent hazelnut chocolate spread but wanting to know exactly what goes into it, we are giving you an alternative: why not make your own at home?

This delicious chocolate and hazelnut spread is a great alternative to Nutella and tastes absolutely amazing! A bit like if you'd blended a hundred Ferrero Rocher chocolates! It's easy to make, vegan and gluten-free, and you can use it on absolutely everything you like: toast, cakes, pancakes, crepes, waffles, pastries, fruit... You can even add some into these mouth-watering Mug Cakes, we tried and believe us, they were a huge success!

Thanks to Minimalist Baker for this recipe that we've adapted a bit.

Ingredients

*** Note that a good food processor is essential to make nut butter.

The original recipe calls for 3 cups of hazelnuts but I like to make a mix of predominately hazelnuts and then just add in my other favourite raw nuts (almonds, walnuts & pecans). I do this because hazelnuts are so expensive, and like they say 'variety is the spice of life'!

100g dairy free dark chocolate (I used a 70% cacao one - be sue to look for palm oil free)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt

Optional extras (you can add these according to your taste, I added chia seeds and flaxseed to mine to make it extra healthy):

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp chia seeds

1 tsp flaxseed

Your liquid sweetener of choice: rice malt syrup, agave nectar, maple syrup, honey if not vegan etc.

Coconut oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and add hazelnuts and other nuts to a baking sheet in a single layer, keeping them a bit separate as you'll need the hazelnuts in the next step. Roast for 10-15 minutes, make sure not to burn them, remove from oven and let them cool slightly.

Transfer the hazelnuts to a large kitchen towel and use your hands to roll the nuts around to remove most of the skins. It doesn't have to be perfect but the more skins you remove, the creamier result you'll get.

Add nuts to your food processor. Process on low until the nuts turn into a butter. The original recipe said 8-10 minutes but I had to leave mine for 20-30 minutes in total, it depends on your food processor. Scrape down the sides every few minutes. Now is the time to sit on the couch with a cuppa and a good book (or browse our 1 Million blog), as this process takes a while and you want to stay nearby to monitor it, but you won't be able to chat on the phone or watch series because of the noise!

In the meantime, melt your chocolate in the microwave making sure that you don't leave it too long.

When the nut butter is creamy and smooth, add the melted chocolate, sea salt, vanilla, and any other extras you might want, then blend again for a few minutes until smooth. Taste and adjust ingredients as desired, you can add a bit of your favourite sweetener if needed, but only a small amount at a time as it will stiffen your spread.

Extra tips:

- If your spread turns out a bit too runny, either add a small amount of liquid sweetener, or simply store it in the fridge instead of the pantry

- If it turned out a bit too thick, try adding a very small amount of coconut oil to soften it

Transfer to a clean, sterile jar, grab a spoon, sit on the couch, and enjoy!

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Are you a chocoholic? Share your best 'alternate' recips in the comments section below!

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