Vegan hazelnut praline chocolates, and spread - for 3 years of blogging

Today, Bite-Sized Thoughts turns three. I thought we could celebrate with chocolate.

I have commemorated previous blog anniversaries with raw dishes. In year one, there were three different types of raw vegan cheesecake (that post is still one of my favourites!) and in year two, there was raw sushi and raw chilli-cinnamon-sea salt chocolates.

When thinking about what to make this year, I was struck by my comment on raw food in last year's anniversary post: it is, to me, like kitchen alchemy. At heart, that is what I love about blogging. The magic of kitchen creations - and in my case, creations without animal products.

Today's recipe is not raw. However, I think it captures kitchen alchemy perfectly. The picture below shows the transition from whole hazelnuts to creamy hazelnut butter, in what may well be chemistry and physics at their best. 

Clockwise from top left: Roasted hazelnuts; shelled hazelnuts pre-processing;
after 5 minutes of processing; after 10 minutes of processing

Why didn't we make nut butters in science class?

Before turning to hazelnut praline, though, I wanted to reflect on the last year of blogging. There has been another new header (the fourth since the site started) and 175 new blog posts, taking the total to nearly 550. 

Amusing search terms from the last 12 months include cauliflower smoothie (even I have never gone there), body attack injuries (I have been there), things that scare me funny (never mind funny, I just get scared), and vegetable funny image (?!).

Bite-Sized Thoughts over time (the oldest and first header is on the far right)

The most popular posts from the year cover an interesting mix of recipes and reviews. I always love looking over post statistics, as they remind me of posts I have forgotten and highlight how varied 'favourite' topics can be. Out of last year's content, here are the top 10 viewed posts:

1. Purchasing property overseas (April 2013)
2. Carrageenan, more non-dairy milk reviews, and homemade cashew nut milk (March 2013)
3. Aussie Farmer's Direct (March 2013)
4. Raw zucchini noodles with a spicy peanut sauce (January 2014)
5. No bake, high raw banana bread bites (May 2013)
6. Vegan orange cake, and an orange lesson (March 2013)
7. Vegan coconut banana chocolate truffles (September 2013)
8. Magical everything chocolate pudding (November 2013)
9. Gingerbread truffle balls (July 2013)
10. Cardamom and date pumpkin scones (May 2013)

Last but not least in the reflection stakes, there is the fact that I still enjoy blogging. It doesn't matter if I am busy or relaxed, tired or energetic, sad or happy, or irritable or content - I am grateful for it. I am also grateful for all of you! The blogging community is a lovely one, and I get a lot of pleasure from your comments, and for those of you who also blog, your own posts.

So, without further ado, let's celebrate with chocolate. Hazelnut praline chocolate, to be specific.

When making these, I had the notion of making vegan, homemade Guylian Seashell chocolates. As it turns out, the praline is more like the smooth filling component of a Ferrero Rocher. It's not a bad dilemma to be faced with, chocolate that taste like Ferrero Rocher instead of Guylian. In fact, it's not really a dilemma at all. It's lovely and wonderful and shut-your-eyes-this-tastes-like-heaven.

At the risk of sounding conceited, these chocolates are quite wonderful. They are by far the best of my homemade chocolates to date. What is more, the recipe makes enough praline filling for 12 or so chocolates, and another cup of chocolate hazelnut spread for you to use in whatever form you like. I warn you, though: once you've tried it, Nutella will look like a scruffy pair of jeans next to a little black dress.

Again, perhaps not such a bad dilemma.

Vegan hazelnut praline chocolate spread, and chocolates

This makes enough hazelnut praline to fill approximately 12 chocolates, plus a cup of spread spare

Vegan

Food processor required

Author: Bite-sized thoughts.

Print recipe

Ingredients

For the hazelnut praline -

1-1/2 cups raw hazelnuts

1/2 cup agave or rice malt syrup

1/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup good quality cacao or cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch sea salt

For the chocolate coating -

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 cup good quality cacao or cocoa powder

1/8 cup agave or rice malt syrup

For shaping the chocolates -
12 small silicon moulds, or small foil muffin liners

Method

Roast the hazelnuts -

Preheat your oven to 180'C and line two baking trays with baking paper. 

Layer the hazelnuts over the baking trays and roast for 8 to 10 minutes.

Prepare the chocolate coating -

While the hazelnuts are roasting, melt the coconut oil if it isn't already liquid and then combine with the cacao / cocoa and agave / rice malt syrup. Melt over very low heat or on low power in the microwave until smooth.

Use one-third to one-half of the chocolate mixture to coat the lower half of your silicon moulds, or the bottom of muffin liners. Transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.

Make the hazelnut praline -

When the hazelnuts are roasted, use paper towels to rub the exterior and remove the skins. Don't worry if some skins remain, but aim to remove as many as possible.

Transfer the shelled roasted hazelnuts to a food processor and process for 5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and starting to clump together (see image above). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process for another 5 minutes, or as long as needed to get perfectly smooth and silky hazelnut butter (again, see image above).

Add the agave / rice malt syrup, almond milk, cacao / cocoa, vanilla and sea salt to the hazelnut mixture and process until incorporated and smooth, approximately 1 minute. 

To compile the chocolates -

When ready, remove the chocolate moulds from the freezer. Spoon 1/2 to 1 tsp of hazelnut praline over each chocolate base. 

Reheat the chocolate coating if it has firmed up, and then spoon over the chocolate base and hazelnut praline filling, to cover the filling fully. 

Return the chocolates to the freezer or fridge to set, allowing 4 hours setting time if using the fridge. When set, turn the chocolates out from their moulds and enjoy.

Store the chocolates and leftover hazelnut praline in the fridge.

You might be tempted to skip the roasting and peeling of the hazelnuts, but it really helps get the praline perfectly smooth. It is worth the time, I promise! If you feel like investing extra time, you could also swap the chocolate coating for a more authentic chocolate involving cacao butter instead of coconut oil. My recipe from last year's anniversary would work well, otherwise Celia has an excellent guide to chocolate tempering using a store-bought chocolate base.

Submitted to Ricki's Wellness Weekend.

What are (or were, if you no longer eat them) your favourite commercial individual chocolates? Lindt balls, Guylian seashells and Ferrero Rocher balls all have a place in my heart...

Tweet

Pin It