12 oz. chocolate – chopped (I used 6 oz. milk, 6 oz. semisweet)
⅓ c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. kosher sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, place in the oven to bake for 10-12 minutes or until the skins begin to darken (but not burn). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the skins.
To remove the skins, rub with a clean dry kitchen towel OR use two metal bowls (that are the same size) and shake the hazelnuts vigorously inside (this process can take several minutes).
Place the hazelnuts into a large food processor or high speed blender (like a Vitamix, Ninja or Blendtec), and grind for 1 minute. Add oil and grind for an additional minute.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate until smooth. Pour into food processor along with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and sea salt. Blend for 5 minutes or until smooth.
Allow to cool completely before storing.
Notes
If you prefer a sweeter spread, you can add ½ cup of powdered sugar instead of ⅓ cup.
