Lets ring in the 2015 with the warmth of Nutella Hazelnut Truffles! Nutella, a favorite among the young generation in the western world and Ferrero Rocher chocolates have millions of fans across the world!! In fact these chocolates are so popular in a country like India too, that you often find small packings of these at every Street/Panwalla shop. This observation made me realize two things on a recent visit to India- the craze of Indians about these hazelnut chocolates and how the Indian landscape had changed! No wonder that these were a favorite gift to family and friends when visiting, in India.
I was never exposed to the Nutella craze when I was young, so I was always curious to know how this brand became so popular and also came into existence. As most successful products, new things get invented, and created due to the need of the moment. And so it goes for Nutella as well!
According to a blog entry http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/09/16/347749070/thanks-to-nutella-the-world-needs-more-hazelnuts , the manufacturers of Ferrero Rocher chocolates faced an immense shortage of chocolate in WWII, so they decided to add hazelnut paste to the chocolates and the new version of Ferrero Rocher Hazelnut chocolates were creamier and softer. And thats how the Nutella came into being. Besides the young generation, we have squirrels who are extremely crazy about the hazelnuts. The first jar of Nutella was marketed on April 20 1964, and Nutella product completed 50 years in 2014! The fan following of Nutella is huge as there is an even a World Nutella Day, celebrated on 5th February!
So I hope you enjoy these Nutella Hazelnut Truffles with the upcoming World Nutella Day or a warm up to the Valentine’s Day celebrations!! The texture is soft, not as crunchy as in other chocolate truffles, and the whole hazelnut inside gives you a Ferrero Rocher chocolate taste! Skinning and toasting the hazelnut was a new experience for me, and I was extremely happy to see this video of none other than Julia Child(my inspiration!!) where Alice Meldrich is sharing her experience on skinning and toasting the Hazelnuts. Enjoy this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6ije1-i9YY. After watching this, you will surely appreciate the wonderful job done by Meryl Streep in getting the character of Julia Child come across in the movie Julie and Julia.
Needless to say that Nutella Hazelnut Truffles are extremely nutty for both, fans of Nutella as well as for someone who is nuts about truffles, like me! This treat is for a very dear person who is both a Nutella and truffle fan, on her birthday today!
Cheers and Greetings of the New Year to all!!
Recipe makes 24 Truffles Ingredients
- 2 cups cornflakes
- 1/2 cup hazelnut, skinned and toasted
- 24 more hazelnuts skinned and toasted (for stuffing)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup Nutella spread
For skinning
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp baking soda
Method
- Skinning and Toasting the Hazelnuts: –Put water to boil. Add baking soda, and add the de shelled hazelnuts to it. Boil till the water turns black and skin peels off. Drain the nuts and dry them with a towel. Roast the nuts for 15 min at 350 degrees in the oven. Remove and cool.
- Finely ground the cornflakes in pulses in a blender.
- Coarsely ground the 1/2 cup hazelnuts in a blender.
- Microwave butter and sugar in a bowl until melted for about a minute.
- Mix in milk and cocoa and nutella and thoroughly incorporate all the ingredients.
- Add the crushed cornflakes to the mix.
- Cover a deep dish with foil overhang.
- Transfer this mix into a deep dish.
- Chill the mix for 3-4 hours.
- Using foil overhang remove the mix from the container.
- Make 24 pieces of the set mix. Use a spoon to scoop out the pieces, if needed.
- Make a round ball of each mix, insert one whole toasted and skinned hazelnut, and shape into a ball again. The mix should be a little soft , so as to absorb the coating around it. Roll it enough into the coating of nuts so it is evenly covered. If the mixture has become stiff, leave it outside for sometime to soften it.
- In a short deep bowl, transfer the crushed hazelnuts.
- Roll the nutella ball in the crushed hazelnuts, until evenly covered.
- Lay a dish with parchment paper and set the hazelnut covered truffle on the parchment paper.
- Make 24 such pieces and set to chill in the refrigerator.
- Serve when thoroughly set and truffles can be consumed over a week, when stored in a refrigerator.
Tips
Chill the mixture for about 2 hours before making into balls or until it becomes a little stiff.
Also I preferred making it a day or two in advance before actually consuming them so that it sets well.
Instinct Factor
If the mixture is too soft, add some cocoa powder so that it holds the shape.
The cornflakes mixture should not be too powdered and roll the balls till thoroughly covered with crushed cornflakes.
Feel Factor
Nutella hazelnut truffles are soft, nutty, bit crunchy and extremely easy to make, once you use the boiling method of removing the brown skin of the hazelnuts. Leaving this skin, can give a slight bitter taste! Now you can have a Ferrero Rocher feel at home and that too anytime for making a special occasion even more special with a classy dessert, the recipe of which was a great find from Best Ever Christmas Treats.
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