Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Mock Nutella From Gale Gand Food

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT SPREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl and place over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature.
• Grind the nuts in a food processor until pasty (the nuts will be stuck to the sides of work bowl), 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the condensed milk, honey and salt. Blend well, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the cooled chocolate and pulse until combined. Transfer the spread to a small bowl.
• Serve with the toasts and sliced fruit. Cook's Note: The chocolate can also be melted in a microwave. Microwave the chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl in 15-second intervals until the chocolate is very soft. Stir until melted and smooth.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD WITH CREPES

Steps:

• In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts into a paste. Add the oil, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and continue processing. Add the melted chocolate and blend well. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer to remove any large grains of nuts. The mixture will be thin and a little warm. Pour into a jar to let cool and thicken slightly. Keeps 1 month, covered, at room temperature.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Whisk in the salt, granulated sugar, and flour. Set aside for 30 minutes, if you have got the time. In a nonstick 8 to 10-inch omelet pan, melt about 1/2 teaspoon butter over medium heat. When it foams, pour or ladle in about 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) batter. Lift and swirl the pan so the batter coats the bottom. Replace the pan on the burner and cook just until set and the underside is lightly browned. Using a spatula or your fingers, flip the crepe, and cook until the other side is lightly browned. Transfer to a platter. Repeat until the batter is used up.
• One by one, spread each crepe with a thin layer of the chocolate hazelnut spread, then some banana slices, and roll up like a cigar or fold into quarters. Place 2 crepes on each of 4 serving plates. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve.
• Notes about the recipe: While in Italy we discovered Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut spread that comes in a jar like peanut butter. We can't get enough of it but also have trouble finding it. So I figured out how to make my own! This recipe makes more hazelnut spread than you need but it keeps and is great to spread on toast, inside croissants or on brioche. I've even caught family members just spreading it on a banana as they peel it down, one schmear per bite.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD - SUGAR FREE

Steps:

• Place the first 4 ingredients into a food processor and blend.
• Slowly pour a small amount of oil into the mix, a little at a time, until it becomes a paste (a similar consistancy to peanut butter or nutella).
• Place paste into a jar and refrigerate.
• Keeps for 1 month.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Spread nuts on baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer nuts to clean kitchen towels and rub until most of the skins are removed.
• Transfer nuts to food processor and grind into a smooth paste, about 5 minutes. Add sugar, cocoa and salt and process until combined.
• With processor running, slowly pour oil into work bowl through feed tube until fully incorporated. Transfer to storage jars. Keeps about 1 month in refrigerator.