New Gianduja (Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread) Recipe

January 21, 2008 at 1:11 am · Filed under Chocolate, Nutella

the new homemade chocolate hazelnut butter

After some teases here and there, here’s the new, improved recipe for homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread. Finally! While the original version was delicious, it tasted faintly chalky. The culprit was the powdered sugar, which has added cornstarch (to keep the sugar from caking). Unfortunately, raw cornstarch is as appetizing as raw flour.

I tried making my own powdered sugar by whizzing granulated sugar in a food processor, but it never came out fine enough. It was like crunching on sand. I even tried sweetening it with fruit paste, which split the mixture into a tough, chocolate blob and an oil slick. So that’s what happens when you mix oil and water…

It was time to go the route of the pros and make praliné (caramel powder). The combination of browned sugar, toasted nuts and cocoa powder put it worlds above Nutella. With this method, I didn’t have to add oil to make it a spreadable consistency. Not only was it healthier, but the flavors were more concentrated.

This caramel base is fool-proof. You don’t need a thermometer, and you don’t need to worry about stuff crystallizing. The finished product is so good that you’ll swear you jacked it from a French pastry chef.

For instructions, check the amended chocolate-hazelnut butter recipe.

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6 Comments

  1. Christina said,

    Yum, I can’t wait to try it. I think I will give this as a gift for someone at her upcoming birthday party. Can you please tell me how much one batch will yield? Thanks

    January 21, 2008 at 12:39 pm

  2. Jessica "Su Good Sweets" said,

    Christina, it yield about 12 ounces, or 1 1/2 cups (about the same amount as a jar of Nutella).

    January 21, 2008 at 10:22 pm

  3. lynn said,

    Awesome! What’s better than Nutella? Healthier Nutella you can make yourself!

    January 21, 2008 at 9:39 pm

  4. Katie said,

    Sound amazing, I can just imagine the winderful nuttiness it must produce.

    January 22, 2008 at 1:57 am

  5. bleeding espresso said,

    Hey I just came across this post while looking around for Nutella recipes…to celebrate World Nutella Day on February 5th!

    Read more about World Nutella Day here.

    We’d love for you and your readers to participate!

    January 26, 2008 at 12:16 pm

  6. Cakespy said,

    Jessica, this sounds amazing! On toast, with fruit…and it sounds easy!?! Win-win, I say.

    January 27, 2008 at 1:05 pm