A chocolately nutty treat of such joy, these smooth bites dissolve in the mouth in an intensely luscious way.
This is my version of gianduja, a classic Italian sweet, and this recipe uses just 3 ingredients – well, four if you want to top it with dark chocolate!
It might not be totally authentic, but it has now over-taken good (expensive!) commercial gianduja in this house.
Gianduja is so simple to make if you have a food processor. Ideally, if your food processor is powerful enough, you whizz up the nuts and icing sugar until it forms a smooth, spreadable paste before mixing with the melted chocolate. However, as many food processors won’t achieve the paste, you can instead whizz up to a very fine powder, as in the recipe. To compensate, I add more chocolate so it all binds together.
These are great eaten just as they are, but I am partial to dunking them in dark chocolate for an additional chocolate hit.
My only warning with these chocolates would be that you can’t eat too much in one go! Or maybe that is the challenge……..
These gianduja also make perfect gifts, packaged up in nice bags with pretty ribbons – ideal for Christmas!
Recipe: gianduja – makes 330g
- 100g toasted hazelnuts (or any nuts: walnuts are fab!)
- 100g icing sugar
- 130g best quality milk chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
- optional: tempered or melted dark chocolate to dip into
(1) Put the hazelnuts and icing sugar in a food processor and blitz in short bursts until you get as fine a powder as you can.
(2) Add the chocolate and blitz until incorporated, scraping down the bowl from time to time.
(3) Spoon into a small rectangular tin lined with clingfilm, pressing it firmly altogether. Or spoon into silicon moulds. Flatten the surface with a knife and chill until set.
NB: it will have the texture of thick wet sand – not a tempting image, I know, but just wait until you taste it! Any dry bits can be pressed into the mixture.
(4) Cut into small pieces. If you want to, dip them into melted chocolate, either submerging them or going about half way.
Phil's Home Kitchen 
Hi Philip,
Can I ask you about aroma Panettone? Did you get it from ‘bakery bits’? By the way -if you ever find yourself near Brewer street in Soho – you must check out Lina Stores! Italian deli heaven!!
Claire x
Sent from Samsung tablet
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hi Claire – I am back into London next week so I will go to Lina Stores. I cannot wait 🙂
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This is indeed really good…… however, it is also the messiest thing that I have EVER made! If anyone has an easier way to toast and skin hazelnuts I would love to know it. I ended up trying both ways – in the oven AND on the cooker top and it was all such a mess! The end result was excellent however, but I will try and find some already toasted skinned hazelnuts before I make it again…..
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I have to say I normally buy ready toasted hazelnuts without the skin as it really can be a faff! So I share your frustration 🙂
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I live in America and am not sure that I can get them here – I haven’t seen any, but will most definitely look! Apart from the hassle of the nuts, it is a lovely recipe!
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thank you Jean
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