Who doesn't love chocolate spread? When my girls have play dates we almost always make pancakes and they adore having chocolate spread on top! It was actually my youngest who suggested that we make our own. I started out using milk chocolate and over time I have substituted this for half milk and half dark chocolate. Give it a try, and hopefully you can substitute it for alternative spreads! Store the spread in our portion pots to keep fresh for longer.
Find more inspiration for tasty spread ideas, have a look inside the 'Lunchbox Made Easy' recipe book!
Makes: 450g
Ingredients:
300g hazelnuts (unsalted)300g chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
Tip: To make this a nut-free version substitute the hazelnuts for 50g of tahini.
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 °c. Toast the hazelnuts on a tray for about 10 minutes until slightly browned and the skins blister.2. Remove from the oven and place the hazelnuts in a cloth towel. Rub vigorously to remove as much of the skins as you can then let them cool.
3. Over a medium heat, bring about 2cm of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Place a heatproof bowl over it, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl.
4. Add the chocolate to the bowl and stir until it softens.
5. Meanwhile add the hazelnuts to a blender and grind until it forms a nut butter. This will take about 10 minutes and you will need to scrape the sides down occasionally.
6. Blend in the vanilla, cocoa powder and salt. Continue to scrape down the sides from time to time.
7. Add in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth.
8. Remove and allow to set in your containers. The chocolate spread will last for 2 weeks outside the fridge.
