I’m beating around the bush here… I apologize.
See, what I really need in my life is homemade chocolate hazelnut spread, I just haven’t gotten the nerve to make it yet.
What am I waiting for? I’m waiting for the stars to align and my desk to clean itself. I’m waiting for the perfect baguette to pair with this homemade Nutella. I’m waiting for a larger food processor, and perhaps new a duvet cover to languish in. I do a lot of languishing… not really. I’m waiting for cashmere oven mitts and pearl earrings…. because I’m fancy… (again) not really.
I’m making excuses. All of the recipes I’ve seen for homemade chocolate hazelnut spread call for powdered milk. Wwwhhhyyyy?? So… until I wrap my head around this concept, or figure out a way to make a bonkers good spread without powdered milk, you’ll have to settle for (dang good) pudding.
Also… instead of beating around the bush, are you actually supposed to be beating the bush? I don’t understand this.
Quick and simple chocolate pudding for two starts with sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and a happy pinch of salt.
We’re totally going to cook this.
Chocolate is super important. I used a lighter and darker chocolate, because I’m cool, fancy, and it’s totally just what I had in my pad-locked chocolate drawer.
Dark chocolate is nice. Milk chocolate is sweeter. A mixture is the move!
Add creaminess. Add flavor. Kick it all in the pants with coarse grey sea salt.
Hazelnuts are roasted until golden and fragrant.
Then they’re rubbed for all they’re worth in a kitchen towel to remove the skins. That’s totally my favorite part.
Eating warm roasted hazelnuts is my second favorite part.
Egg yolk adds a richness to the pudding that cornstarch can’t create.
Milk is the liquid of choice.
How amazing would this taste with a bit of coconut milk? Seriously. Delicious.
Toasted hazelnuts and sea salt on top of creamy chocolate pudding topped with soft whipped cream.
That might be one of the most successful sentences I’ve ever written.
This pudding is simple, rich and decadent. The nuts add the perfect flavor and crunch. The salt is absolute perfection. This pudding begs to be shared. This pudding is the gateway to homemade hazelnut chocolate spread. We’ll get there. I know we will.
Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding
serves 2
adapted from Gourmet November 1998
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
big pinch of salt
4 ounces dark chocolate (I used a mixture of 56% and 70% chocolate), coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups milk (I used low-fat… gasp!)
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup roasted hazelnuts
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks with 1 tablespoon sugar
Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place raw hazelnuts on the pan and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool. Place hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel and rub together to remove most of the skins from the nuts. Place clean nuts in a bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together milk and egg yolk.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt, and chopped chocolate. Place over medium heat. Immediately begin to stream in the milk and egg mixture. Whisk until entirely smooth and chocolate begins to melt. Cook until mixture reaches a low boil. Boil for one minute until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla extract.
Divide the pudding between two cups, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding, and allow to cool in the refrigerator until completely cool. Place cold cream in a bowl and whip with a whisk to soft peaks (you can also do this in a electric mixer). Add a bit of sugar (about 1 tablespoon) and a touch of vanilla extract. Set in the fridge until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, top with toasted hazelnuts, coarse sea salt, and lightly whipped cream. Pudding will last, covered in the fridge, for up to 4 days.
Stacie (Foodie2Shoes)
Yum yum yum yum yum. I have no other words – must make this now…yum
NicoleD
Yes! I need more pudding and toasted hazelnuts in my life!
Magda | My Little Expat Kitchen
I have made homemade Nutella a couple of times, but was not quite pleased with the results.
I’m giving your recipe a try as soon as possible. Thank you.
P.S. I love the photograph of the roasted hazelnuts.
ileana
You are putting together my favorite things! Sea salt and chocolate is a new obsession. Hazelnuts and chocolate is a long-term love. I’ve never made pudding, but this makes me want to try it out. Thanks, Joy!
Kathryn
I’d much rather eat pudding than spread anyway so I am ridiculously happy with this recipe!
Kathryn
Not to blow your mind, but the Veganomicon Cookbook has a milk powder free chocolate hazelnut spread (which they dubbed NOTella). It may be the next step in your quest.
charlotte au chocolat
This looks absolutely delicious! Now, homemade nutella please!
martina
It’s almost two days I was searching a lovely pudding to welcome home my husband next Saturday (from California, would you believe it?!). You got me the sweetest pudding, ever. Thanks
I have a recipe for homemade nutella which contains: dark and white chocolate, sugar, milk, butter and obviously toasted hazelnut. Let me know if you are interested in it! :)
Martina
martina
It’s almost two days I was searching a lovely pudding to welcome home my husband next Saturday (from California, would you believe it?!). You got me the sweetest pudding, ever. Thanks
I have a recipe for homemade nutella which contains: dark and white chocolate, sugar, milk, butter and obviously tostated hazelnut. Let me know if you are interested in it! :)
Martina
Mary @ Bake Break
I want this. I also want you to stop beating around the bush and blow our minds by creating the best chocolate hazelnut spread (without yuckiness) for us!! Some of my favorite memories involve baguettes, nutella, and surfing.. It’s a combo that cannot be beat.
This will have to tide us over – and I’m sure it will succeed!
Michelle
This might be all the luxury I can handle right now. Well a fancy glass of red wine to wash it down would be more my style….
Mara @ Elemental Custard
Im waiting for the stars to align before I make that cinnamon sugar pull apart bread. Looks like it is to die for – Although I can never say no to chocolate and hazelnuts either…
Louise
“The figurative meaning of the odd phrase ‘beat around the bush’ …evolved from the earlier literal meaning. In bird hunts, some of the participants roused the birds by beating the bushes and enabling others, to use a much later phrase, to ‘cut to the chase’ and catch the quarry in nets. So, ‘beating about the bush’ was the preamble to the main event, which was the capturing of the birds. Of course, grouse hunting and other forms of hunt still use beaters today.”
Love your blog Joy. I use your recipes all the time. Thanks for finding meaning even when beating around the bush of your fantastic kitchen adventures!
Elise
you beat me to it – I couldn’t help but look it up as soon as Joy questioned it (though I’ve never really considered it before) and found my way to (I think) the same AWESOME website! (http://www.phrases.org.uk/index.html)
sofia
you might change the world with this recipe. just sayin’.
Julie
Oh. My. Thank you. Really.