Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

You know what I'm getting at, right?

You know that sinfully delicious concoction that ends up inside some of our favorite baked goods?

Or, if you're like me, that sinfully delicious concoction that ends up completely gone before I can bake with it because I am armed with a giant serving spoon and ZERO PERCENT willpower?

Yeah, that stuff.

True enough, we can buy it in the store.  But, I have recently discovered that this stuff can be made at home, AND it is almost indistinguishable from the beloved store-bought version we all crave.

First, can we examine why it is that we are all hardcore hellbent over this stuff???  What do they put in that little container?  I want to believe it's not drugs, but I can't figure out why we all go gaga for it and so I have to consider the idea that there is some type of Walter White-style magic going on here.  It's so freakin' addicting.  I feel the same way about Frank's Red Hot.  I mean, WHYYYY do I feel the need to put it on everything?  And, will I have any withdrawal symptoms if I don't?

Before the delirium tremors and paranoia set in, let me share this recipe with you.

Gooey.

Smooth.

Rich.

Chocolatey.

Hazelnutty.

All adjectives that describe this jar of sensational goodness.

It's obviously a little more work than going to the store and picking one up off a shelf, but in truth, it's worth it.  It makes more than you would get in a normal-sized container and you have the comfort of knowing exactly what's in it (i.e. not addicting drugs of any kind... I hope).  Hazelnuts on their own can be pretty expensive, but since this is not my only experiment with nut butters this week, I saved a ton by buying the assorted bag variety, and then separating and cracking my own supply.

Since we are on a nut butter mission this week, I'm going to shut up and let you get to the recipe because we've got a lot to do in the next few days!











Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
(adapted from America's Test Kitchen DIY Cookbook)

2 cups shelled hazelnuts
1 cup Confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp hazelnut extract
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven 375F.

Spread hazelnuts onto a baking sheet and toast 10-15 minutes, or until nuts are browned and fragrant.

Let cool.  Use a dry washcloth to scrub the skins off the hazelnuts as best you can.

Place hazelnuts in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients.  

Blend ingredients until a smooth butter forms.  

Spoon into jar and refrigerate.

Mushroom Swiss Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Marsala Gravy

Oh, winter...

 

Like that weird cousin who has been crashing on your couch and eating all your food for a solid two months, you have officially worn out your welcome.

 

Don't get me wrong.  I love snow.  I love snowmobiling and four-wheeling and ice fishing and frolicking in fresh powder with my big furry dog.  What I don't love is the constant climbing of snow banks that far exceed my own height.  I don't love needing snowshoes to get from my front door to my driveway (I really don't love having a garage).  And, I don't love the constant wind chill warning that plummets a balmy 2-3 degrees Fahrenheit to double digits below zero.  I'm tired of my iPhone's forecast app showing negative numbers all the time. 

 

Needless to say, I'm ready for spring.  You have no idea how much I'm ready for spring.

 

If you live in the Adirondack region like me, you're probably in the same boat.  If you don't, be thankful you are not in our boat.  Our metaphorical boat is stuck in 3 literal feet of solid ice and there is no sign of thaw in sight.

 

Ok, ok, ok.... I'm done whining and complaining.  Truth be told, I love all seasons around here.  I am grateful for every chilly winter day and every scorching summer day.  I get to experience it all, which is pretty cool if you ask me.  Every now and then, though, it can get on your nerves a bit.

 

When the cold gets to me, I very often reach for something warm.  An electric blanket, a roaring fire and some flannel PJs are a great way to do that.  In fact, that's my life as I'm writing this to you.  But, the icing on the cake is always a little comfort food to warm the tummy.  Grilled cheese sandwiches are always my go-to because they scream winter remedy to me.  That, and hot cocoa, but we'll get to that another time. 

 

Seriously, there is nothing that melts the winter blues quite like toasted bread, gooey cheese and a hot bowl of soup for dipping.  My three favorite food groups.

 

Because I'm a loving admirer of anything made with marsala wine, I decided to cook up a little mushroom-marsala goodness in the form of a grilled cheese sandwich.  Instead of soup, I chose to whip up a thick gravy sweetened with wine-y goodness.  Mushrooms just always with marsala to me so I topped my grilled cheese with mushrooms and the mild flavor of swiss provides all the gooey cheesiness while letting the flavor of the wine stand out.

 

If I can eat this for the next couple weeks, I may just have the courage to get through this next long bout of cold, windy (did I mention COLD?!?!) wintry days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mushroom Swiss Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Marsala Gravy

 

4 slices bread

6 thick slices swiss cheese

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 small white onion

1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 tbsp butter, melted

1 tbsp flour

1/2 cup beef stock

1/4 cup marsala wine

1/4 cup milk or cream

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

 

 

 

Saute onion in skillet in olive oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until translucent and fragrant. 

 

Add mushrooms and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

 

Remove vegetable from pan and set aside.

 

In the same pan, combine butter and flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously to form a roux.  Add beef stock, marsala and cream.  Stir until homogenous.  Bring to a boil and let thicken to a gravy consistency.  Remove from heat and pour into a gravy boat or small serving bowl. 

 

Butter a slice of bread and place it face down on your prep surface.  Place three slices of swiss cheese on the bread followed by half of the mushroom-onion mixture.  Pour half the gravy over the mushrooms and top with another slice of bread, again buttering the exposed surface of bread.  You could omit the gravy from the sandwich and use it as a dipping sauce later instead.

 

Place the sandwich in a skillet over medium heat and cook for about five minutes.  Flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.