Hazelnut Praline Hot Chocolate

Hazelnut Praline Recipe

Ingredients (make 200g praline)

100g blanched hazelnuts

100g caster sugar

​1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160ºC fan). Place the blanched hazelnuts on a baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven and roast for 10 minutes until they are light brown. After cooking, let them cool down completely.

2. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the sugar and roasted hazelnuts in a small saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir the hazelnuts with the sugar until it caramelises to an amber colour and the nuts are all coated. Transfer quickly (but delicately, a burn caused by caramel is extremely painful) onto the baking paper and let the caramelised hazelnuts cool down completely.

3. After the caramelised hazelnuts have cooled down, put them in a food processor and mix until you get a fine praline powder (if you keep mixing, you will get praline paste instead). Pour into a small bowl and use for dessert recipes or for the following hazelnut praline hot chocolate.

Hazelnut Praline Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients (for 2 people)

400ml milk

50g chopped dark chocolate (70% minimum cocoa content preferably)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 tablespoons hazelnut praline

To serve: whipped cream, chocolate shavings.

1. Put the milk, chopped dark chocolate, cocoa powder and hazelnut praline in a small saucepan over a low to medium heat. Stir well with a whisk to dissolve the ingredients and cook until the hot chocolate is heated through (do not let it boil). Whisk the hot chocolate until it is lightly foamy on the surface.

2. Pour the hot chocolate through a sieve* into two mugs or cups. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings.

​Notes: * I recommend pouring the hot chocolate through a sieve if you want a smooth beverage. Otherwise, you will have tiny piece from the hazelnut praline which really depends on your taste if you want them in your drink or not.

Bon appétit!