Chocolate Hazelnut Spread aka Nutella

I don't know about you but I can't be trusted around Nutella.  I took a trip to Paris a few years ago and I think the 6 or so pounds I gained on that trip is due to the fact that I was helpless to resist the street side windows of creperies and their Nutella and banana crepes.

 Nutella + Banana is possibly my favorite food combination.  

This recipe makes about 4 cups, so plan accordingly.   (Most of this batch is going to friends and co workers.)

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

10 oz hazelnuts, blanched + skinless

1/4 cup sugar

1 lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 stick butter

1 cup cream

pinches of salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast about 30 minutes until medium brown.  Turn pan once during roasting for evenness.  Remove from oven and let cool.  

Combine sugar and roasted hazelnuts in the smaller bowl of a food processor and process with the multi purpose blade for 12 minutes of so.  Mixture will have to consistency of melted, oily, creamy peanut butter.  

Meanwhile, set a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water and melt chocolate.  Add butter, stirring to melt and combine with chocolate.  Stir in cream.  Stir in hazelnut/sugar mixture and salt.  While warm, pour into clean jars.  

Will keep at room temperature of 4 days or in the fridge for a month.  

Chocolate Truffles

Truffles!  I don't really know what to say about these but they are easy to make and a nice looking gift.  Keep these little things in the fridge.  Roll them either in cocoa powder, crushed nuts, chopped dried cranberries, sprinkles, coconut or anything else.  

Chocolate Truffles

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons grand marnier

6 oz german sweet chocolate  

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

cocoa powder (or whatever you've chosen to roll the truffles in)

In a pan, boil cream until it is reduced to about 2 tablespoons.  Add grand marnier and chocolate.  Lower the heat and melt chocolate.  Add butter, stir until melted and mixture is smooth.  Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.  

Scoop out with a spoon, shape and roll in toppings.  

Sugar + Gingerbread Cookies

Cookies are a holiday tradition for my family.  My mom would make sugar cookies, an aunt would make gingerbread and another aunt would make chocolate sugar cookies.  Or maybe it was another way around but there would be a cookie decorating extravaganza.  And it was great.  

I have an intense love of frosted cookies and for these I just used the frosting recipe on the domino powdered sugar box but added a squeeze of lemon and a bunch of zest.  

The sugar cookies are great with a little citrus zest or vanilla bean added.  For chocolate cookies, add a bit of cocoa powder or sub out a tablespoon or two of butter for chocolate.

Sugar Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cups sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup milk

Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup water

3/4 cup molasses

For either recipe:

In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, except sugars.  Set aside. 

In another bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Then egg (for sugar cookies.) Then add remaining ingredients.  Form dough into a log and chill 2 hours to a couple days.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out to 1/4" thick on a floured surface.  Dough is sticky so be afraid to be generous with the flour.  Cut out cookies and transfer to a greased cookie sheet.  Re-roll scraps.  

Bake 8-10 minutes.  For soft cookies, take them out just before they turn golden and toasty on the edges.