Chocolate Torrone, it can’t be Christmas in Italy without Torrone! And needless to say one of our favourites is a creamy chocolate treat filled with hazelnuts. A delicious new tradition to share with your family at Christmas.
Chocolate Torrone, a creamy delicious chocolate Treat, the perfect holiday dessert. You know how some people talk about desserts and call them “Death by Chocolate“? Well my friends you haven’t tasted anything until you’ve tried this. This is absolute chocolate heaven. Probably one of the most popular Italian Christmas treats!
For approximately the first 10 years that we have lived in our home, we had the perfect neighbours, well at least they were for me. We lived beside a Chocolate Factory. Life couldn’t have been better. Well actually it got better when they asked me to work for them at Easter Time. Oh what luck that was!
They would make their own Chocolate Torrone and Nougat Torrone every Christmas and then come Easter, that’s when the real fun started. Right after Christmas they would start getting ready for the biggest Chocolate holiday of the year.
It was so busy at that time people coming and buying every imaginable size of egg. Having their own special gift placed in an egg for a loved one.
They were amazing people and I loved that working experience. Never mind the buckets of broken chocolate calling my name. I can remember during those months of the year, we would all come out of the house, sniff the air and chime “Yup, our neighbours are awesome”.
Unfortunately like a lot of family owned businesses in this country, they were forced to close up. Another great business lost and forgotten. Chocolate Torrone is incredibly easy to make and equally easy to eat, full of toasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate and a little Nutella.
Recipe Ingredients
- Dark chocolate – good quality
- Milk chocolate – good quality
- White chocolate – good quality
- Nutella – hazelnut cream spread
- Hazelnuts – whole hazelnuts peeled and toasted
For the hazelnut spread you can use storebought or homemade or even substitute with chocolate spread.
How to make it
Place the coating chocolate, broken into pieces in a medium bowl over a pot of water (bain marie) be sure to make sure bowl does not touch the water and melt until smooth, stirring often with a spatula or whisk.
Remove the bowl from the heat and coat a silicone loaf pan or a parchment paper lined loaf pan. Swirling or brushing the chocolate to coat evenly, drain any extra chocolate back into the bowl.
Freeze the loaf pan until it hardens, coat one more time and freeze again. The remaining chocolate will be used for the topping.
While the coating is in the freezer, melt together the milk, white and dark chocolate the same way as above. Once they are melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the hazelnut cream spread, continue stirring until smooth.
Fold in the toasted cooled hazelnuts, remove the loaf pan from the freezer and add the hazelnut filling. Refrigerate, remove from the fridge and cover with the remaining dark chocolate coating. Cover lightly with foil and refrigerate until firm. Remove from loaf pan and slice or chop into pieces.
How to roast hazelnuts
Pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C. Place the nuts in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 5 to 8 minutes or until they are lightly golden brown, remove immediately from the pan to a clean bowl to cool. Do nut leave them on the pan as they will continue to bake as the pan cools.
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How to store Chocolate Torrone
It should be stored in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge. Or at room temperature as long as it is a cool and dry area. It will last up seven days. It can also be frozen in a freezer safe bag or container. It will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
So if you are looking for a delicious Chocolate recipe this Holiday season I hope you give this Chocolate Torrone a try and let me know. Enjoy!
COATING
- 12.3 ounces dark chocolate (good quality)
FILLING
- 5.3 ounces milk chocolate
- 3.5 ounces white chocolate
- 3.5 ounces dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup Nutella
- 1 3/4 – 2 cups Hazelnuts (whole peeled and toasted)
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COATING
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On low heat place the coating chocolate (broken into pieces) in a medium bowl over a pot of water (make sure bowl does not touch the water). Melt until smooth, stirring often with a spatula or whisk. Remove from heat and coat a silicone loaf pan 8.5 x 4.5 inch (22 x 11 cm), or a parchment paper lined loaf pan. Swirling or brushing the chocolate to coat evenly, drain any extra chocolate back into the bowl. Freeze the loaf pan for about 10-15 minutes or until hardens, coat one more time and freeze again for 10 minutes. The remaining chocolate will be used for the topping.
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FILLING
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While the coating is in the freezer, melt together the milk, white and dark chocolate the same way as above. Once it is melted, remove from the heat and stir in the Nutella, continue stirring until smooth. Fold in the hazelnuts, remove the loaf pan from the freezer and add the hazelnut filling. Refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge and cover with the remaining dark chocolate coating. Cover lightly with foil and refrigerate 3-6 hours. Remove from loaf pan and slice or chop into pieces.
If you buy untoasted hazelnuts, then you can either place the hazelnuts in a large frying pan and heat on medium heat for approximately 2 minutes stirring occasionally, then remove from pan and let cool. Or bake in a pre-heated 350°F oven for 5 – 7 minutes, just be sure to remove them from the pan to a bowl so they don’t continue to bake.
How to store Chocolate Torrone
It should be stored in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge. Or at room temperature as long as it is a cool and dry area. It will last up seven days.
It can also be frozen in a freezer safe bag or container. It will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.18g | Protein: 6.1g | Fat: 29.61g | Saturated Fat: 11.09g | Cholesterol: 1.71mg | Sodium: 13.22mg | Potassium: 379.63mg | Fiber: 5.44g | Sugar: 17.2g | Vitamin A: 11.3IU | Vitamin C: 1.42mg | Calcium: 61.77mg | Iron: 4.27mg
Source: Tavolartegusto.it
Republished from December 6, 2015.