White Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

aka white chocolate Nutella, aka bueno spread

This issue of The Boy Who Bakes is sponsored by Wilfa

Happy Friday! Are you ready for the weekend? I have family visiting so it’s a pizza party and games night kind of weekend ahead for me. When we have a crowd visiting I often turn to making pizza because if you’re already making one, it’s really not that much more work making a bunch, especially the sheet pan pizzas I like to make for these occasions, quicker than individual pies and I can bake multiples pizzas at the same time. Feeding a crowd without too much effort. Dessert for the occasion needs to be similarly simple and I still have no idea what I am going to make, nothing like a last minute scramble to pull something together. The one element I know the dish will include is todays recipe for white chocolate hazelnut spread. If I don’t use it in a recipe I am genuinely worried I will just eat the whole jar with a spoon! So far I’ve only eaten it that way or spread on toast, an option you should definitely explore.

If you’ve ever had a Kinder Bueno you know the flavour I was aiming for, something extremely creamy and nutty, its basically a white chocolate version of Nutella (just without the palm oil). It’s made in a similar way to nutella, roasted hazelnuts are ground into a paste and mixed with white chocolate. That means we need a food processor or blender that is high powered, strong enough to cope with the nuts and can process them into a smooth paste. For this I use my Wilfa Powerfuel XL Blender, an incredibly powerful blender that broke this down into a smooth spread with no effort. The blender has a 2 litre capacity, should you want to start making massive vats of this spread, has a 2000 watt motor which makes a whopping 32,000 revolutions a minute. The motor of the blender also comes with a ten year motor guarantee which means you know it is built to last!

You can get a 20% discount on Wilfa products using my code THEBOYWHOBAKES

The spread is as simple as it sounds but there a few elements to enhance it and make it something extra special. The sugar is caramelised and spread over the hazelnuts, which gives the spread a warm toasty flavour. Salt and vanilla are added, both of which act as seasonings for the spread. Finally I like to add some toasted milk powder to the spread which adds a warm toasted flavour and really adds to the depth of flavour. Finally a little oil is added to keep the spread, well, spreadable. If you have some this is a perfect use for hazelnut oil, otherwise a neutral oil works well too.

White Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Makes 1x450g jar

200g blanched hazelnuts
75g caster or granulated sugar
Large pinch flaked sea salt
4 tbsp vegetable oil or hazelnut oil
150g white chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

To make the spread pour the hazelnuts onto a parchment lined baking tray and toast in an oven preheated to 180ºC (160ºC) for about 10-15 minutes or until a rich golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Add the sugar to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the sugar has melted and caramelised to a rich golden brown, the colour of an old penny, and them immediately pour over the nuts. Don’t worry about pouring it over evenly, the blender will take care of that. Set aside  until the sugar has set and has fully cooled.

Break up the sugar and nuts into smaller chunks and then tip into the Wilfa Powerfuel XL blender and process on the lowest speed until broken down into a rough powder like consistency. Add the salt and oil and process for a couple minutes or until a rough paste is formed. Continue blending the mixer until the you feel like the sauce wont smooth out any further. Add the chocolate and repeat the process processing for a couple minutes until a smooth sauce is formed. Normally when making this sort of spread you need to melt the chocolate first but using a high speed blender like the Wilfa Powerfuel XL Blender means the chocolate melts through the friction the blender creates whilst it is on! If you have made some of the toasted milk powder I like to add a couple tablespoons as the spread is being made to further enhance the flavour.

Pour the finished spread into a clean jar and seal. Kept at room temperature the spread will thicken after a few hours. It can be stored in a cool dark spot for up to a month. It can also be refrigerated for longer but it will firm up further when cold. It doesn’t turn completely solid and will soften easily.