For the second installment of Candyfest 2012, I am happy to bring you the easiest and, perhaps, the tastiest fudge I have ever made.
I love Nutella, but I rarely include Nutella recipes on the blog because, more often than not, including Nutella recipe just seems like a waste. Nutella that tastes great on a spoon, or spread on toast or a cookie, but not so good mixed into a batter. When combined with other elements, often the creamy, hazelnutty milk-chocolatey flavors of Nutella get lost. This isn’t always the case, however, and this fabulous fudge is one of the delicious exceptions.
Here are the ingredients:
Salted Cherry Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge
Recipe from Annie’s Eats
YIELD: 64 One-inch Pieces
- ½ cup hazelnuts
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon coffee-flavored liqueur (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread, such as Nutella
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt flakes, plus more for sprinkling
- ½ cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly toasted and the skins have cracked. Transfer the hazelnuts to a clean kitchen towel. Fold half of the towel over the top of the hazelnuts and roll them around gently to help remove the loosened skins. Transfer the skinned hazelnuts to a cutting board and chop coarsely.
Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with foil and grease lightly with butter. Set a heatproof bowl over a pot with a few inches of simmering water (do not boil). In the bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, chocolate, Nutella, butter, and salt. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.
Remove the bowl from the heat. Add the toasted hazelnuts and dried cherries to the bowl and fold in until evenly combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. After it has cooled for a few minutes, sprinkle lightly with additional sea salt. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 3-4 hours.
Use the foil to lift the fudge from the pan. Remove and discard the foil. Use a large chef’s knife to slice the fudge into 64 one-inch squares. Store in an airtight container.
TA DA