Gianduja

THE ORIGINAL NUTELLA As is often the case with beautiful recipes, the creation of gianduja was due to the austerity of restrictions placed on imports to Europe, meaning chocolate was in short supply. To stretch it further, chocolatier Michele Prochet blended his supplies with ground hazelnuts – genius. It couldn’t be easier to make from scratch, plus you have a wonderful gift to share – your lucky, lucky recipients won’t stop talking about it! MAKES 600g 15 MINUTES 150g blanched hazelnuts 400g dark chocolate (70 per cent) 100g icing sugar mild olive oil

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Toast the hazelnuts in a roasting tray for 6 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove to a food processor and blitz to your desired consistency – I like a bit of crunch but it’s up to you whether you go smooth or chunky. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Once smooth, add a little pinch of sea salt, sift in the icing sugar, pour in 200ml oil, sprinkle in the blitzed hazelnuts and stir to combine. Easy!

You can eat the gianduja right away, or keep it in a sterilized jar for up to 6 weeks in a cool, dark place. Once opened, use within a couple of weeks. Forgive me for stating the obvious, but it’s delicious on toast, in or on croissants, drizzled over pancakes, layered between cake sponges, in my Zeppole (see Jamie Cooks Italy), or even tossed through fresh pasta. NUTRITION PER 50g 306 kcal; 23.9g fat (6g saturated); 2.4g protein; 21.6g carbs; 21.2g sugars; 0.1g salt; 0.6g fibre