Choczelnut Butter - Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Recipe

Chef Bretto taking pride in his
Choczelnut Butter (Better Than Nutella)

“As with most fine things, chocolate has its season. There is a simple memory aid that you can use to determine whether it is the correct time to order chocolate dishes: any month whose name contains the letter A, E, or U is the proper time for chocolate.”

~ Sandra Boynton,
Chocolate: The Consuming Passion

The first time our household tried Nutella, it was love. And the largest jar our local grocer carries, was not large enough to last a week. It became a luxury item, that we splurged on twice a year.

Then I read how to make a "healthy" version of Nutella, which I have yet to try, but hopefully will within the next month.

I thought to myself, surely we can make our own Nutella, as I just so happen to have two bags of hazelnuts on hand. Then it happened. I learned how difficult it is to "peel" hazelnuts. I tried my Nonna in the Kitchen's instructions and ended up with only about 1/4 removal of skins. I followed the instructions of other "experts" and fared about the same.

Sweet success came when I tried dipping them in boiling water before roasting them. I boiled some water in a pan, added some baking soda, then my hazelnuts. After boiling for a few minutes, I rinsed them in cold water. The water turns very dark from the skins, but it worked!!!

Chef Bretto is desperate to meet Alton Brown.

Enter Chef Bretto. My son is going through puberty. At 12 years old, he has passed up his mom in height (I am 5'6") and already wears the same shoe size as his dad. His personality is becoming more his own. Thus, cooking in the kitchen with Chef Bretto usually keeps me amused, except when he mimics me at the computer. He hunches up his back, draws in his arms, bent elbows with his hands in a claw fashion, cackles and makes typing motions. I am quite sure certain I should not take this as a compliment. He thrives on the reaction he gets from me.

But let's get to Chef Bretto's Choczelnut Butter Recipe, before you have a Nutella withdrawal. He swears it is better than Nutella (though he could be partial to his own cooking). ;)

Choczelnut Butter (Better Than Nutella) in the making
By Chef Bretto

Choczelnut Butter Recipe
(Better than Nutella)

(Print Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup coconut, grapeseed, or canola oil (we used coconut)
• 24 oz chocolate chips or chocolate bars, melted (we used a mixture of milk and semi-sweet)
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar (aka Powdered)
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder (Unsweetened)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2-1 teaspoon sea salt 

Directions:

1. Bring a pan of water to a boil. Add some baking soda and then the hazelnuts. Boil them for a few minutes, remove and rinse under cold water until all skins are removed. Drain.
2. Roast the hazelnuts in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool. 
3. In a food processor, grind hazelnuts until they turn into a butter/paste. Pour in the oil, confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt and process until it is as smooth as it will get (ours still is "textured" as you can see in the photos). 
4. Add the melted chocolate and process some more, until well blended. 
5. Now you can pour/scoop your Choczelnut Butter into a jar. It may be on the thin side, but it will thicken as it cools. 
6. If you want a creamier Choczelnut Butter, you can strain your freshly made, "warm" butter to remove more of the hazelnut chunks. We did not do it, as we felt it was a waste of good nuts and we really don't taste the texture. It's not like chunky peanut butter. 
7. Store your Choczelnut Butter on the counter for up to 2 weeks (as if it will last that long).