Superior Sandwich: Homemade Nutella

So, those Nutella Scones got me thinking...as much as I looove Nutella, I have always been concerned by the quantity and choice of oil used in the product.  The label used to list hydrogenated vegetable oil as the second ingredient.  I believe over the last little while they've changed that to palm oil, which I suppose is great progress.  But still, there is more oil than hazelnuts in that little jar.  I couldn't help but think that homemade is always best and I knew I could do better.  Boy, did I, and with hazelnuts proudly featured as the first ingredient.  Nutty, chocolaty, sweet bliss.  I better not make a habit out of this.

Homemade Nutella
Origin: Impeccable Taste by Jaime

Notes:  The only down side to this recipe (besides its habit forming properties) is that hazelnuts cost a fortune, so get ready for sticker shock when you hit the checkout with your bag of nuts.  I was not able to achieve the ultra smooth consistency of the original Nutella, it was a tad grainy but the fresh flavour more than makes up for that.

Ingredients:

2 cups hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed/melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until they become fragrant.  Place toasted hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and rub the skins off as much as you can.  (I spent waaaay too long trying to get perfectly naked hazelnuts, they are very stubborn, just try your best and move on.)

Place cooled hazelnuts in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth.  The hazelnuts will go through phases while processing.  They will become chopped, then they will all clump together, keep going...eventually the heat generated from the friction of the processor will loosen the ground nuts.  Keep processing until you achieve a smooth paste.

Add the icing sugar, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla, process until combined.

With the processor on, slowly drizzle the liquid coconut oil through the feed hole.  Process until smooth.