Today was going to be a day of leftovers and putting off a much needed shower (which I finally squeezed in during an SGU commercial break). But as my father’s sweet tooth kicked in he started to root around the kitchen and pantry. Eventually he asked me if I had eaten the last of the nutella. Now, the first time nutella came into the house was because I purchased it. And in the countless times over the past few years that we have bought nutella I have probably only had 1 tablespoon. The hilarity in the suggestion that I finished off the nutella was almost more than I could bear. So when I came across a vegan recipe for a chocolate hazelnut spread, it wasn’t for me that I took interest.
As luck would have it, when I went shopping a couple nights ago, I picked up some raw hazelnuts just for such an occasion. So I pulled out the ever-nearby Veganomicon and thumbed through to find the recipe. Now, I’m not brazen enough to post the recipe. I think that’s rude and possibly a copyright violation. If you are feeling particularly needful of the recipe I have no doubt that a brief google search will yield it. But it’s really not difficult at all. All you need to do is make a nut butter with your roasted hazelnuts, and cocoa powder, a diary alternative & a sweetener. Yes, you could make it more complicated if you want. You could use additional flavor enhancers. Hell, you could slather it all over your naked body if that’s your thing. But those are all up to you.
When I followed the recipe in the book, my nut mixture reached it’s saturation point at around half the oil it called for. So instead, I thinned it out with some soy milk. Obviously the end result is perishiable, so I’m keeping it in the fridge. I don’t know how long it will last, but the rate at which we go through nutella in my household it will not be an issue at all. The omni verdict: “mmm good.”
I also picked up a couple packets of Road’s End Chreese mixes out of curiosity. Looking at the ingredients they are essentially nutritional yeast with extra spices thrown in for a little extra flavor and color. I tried the gluten-free cheddar style chreese (which I picked up by mistake) and it is nothing to write home about. Making your own cheese sauce at home with “nooch” (nutritional yeast) would probably come out better. Word is still out on the other gluten-y packages.
I’m enjoying reading your journey through veganism.