Pâte à Tartiner Maison:

About a week ago, a California woman filed a class action lawsuit against the makers of the hazelnut-spread, Nutella. In her statement of claim, Ms. Hohenberg says she was “shocked to learn” from friends “that Nutella was in fact not a ‘healthy,’ ‘nutritious’ food but was instead the next best thing to a candy bar.” Well, duh. If you're ever wondering whether a food item that comes in a plastic tub is healthy or nutritious, you should save yourself the hassle and accept that.. well, it's more than likely not. Especially if it comes touting healthy claims that it's a better alternative for something else, i.e. peanut butter.

That being said, 'kudos' to you ma'am for calling out a food company for fraudulent health claims. One of my biggest issues with 'Big Food' is their dishonesty in advertising and this case surely makes a solid claim to the issue. The problem here is that Ferrero's Nutella is packed full of saturated fat and processed sugars (two things that we should all be trying to avoid), and yet their advertisements claim that it should be included in a "tasty yet balanced breakfast." Unfortunately, the saving grace for Nutella is that their product is pictured with fresh fruit, whole wheat bread and juice. So, the defense will emphasize that it is being included as a part of a balanced meal/snack, Ferrero will walk away with a slap on the wrist, launch a brief "corrective advertisement claim" until the spot light fades. After the dust has settled very little will have actually changed. Pardon my pessimism, I wish I could be more hopeful that something like this would change the way we are advertised foods, but I don't feel confident that Ferrero is a big enough company to have much of a lasting impact. (Although, I do fully support starting somewhere, so maybe I will be surprised with the outcome. Here's hoping.)

So, the point of the post: if you're a fan of this deliciously sweet treat and it's delicate balance of dreamy chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. If you just can't bring yourself to purchase something that you now realize is *gasp* not as healthy as the company wants you to believe. And if you can't imagine a morning without this particular toast topper, you should try this simple recipe. Yes, it lacks the saturated-fat packed palm oil that the shelf stable variety includes, but beware, it does include whole milk, honey, and chocolate, so don't go crazy with the portions. Remember, as will all foods, eat in moderation.

Pâte à Tartiner Maison
1 + 2/3 cup hazelnuts
1 + 3/4 cup whole milk
7/8 cup powdered whole milk
3 tablespoons mild-flavored honey
pinch of salt
11 ounces (140g) milk chocolate, chopped (use one that’s at least 30% cacao solids)

1. Dry roast the nuts in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. Stir every few minutes to achieve even browning.
2. In the meantime, whisk together the whole milk, powdered milk, honey and salt in a sauce pan, bring to a quick boil and immediately turn off heat.
3. Additionally, melt the chocolate in a separate bowl either over a double boiler or in the microwave.
4. If the nuts are are not peeled: once toasted, remove them from the oven and place them on a clean towel, fold the towel up and rub them together to remove as much of the skin as possible (not all of it needs to come off, but most of it should). Or, save yourself some time and buy skinned hazelnuts.
5. In a food processor: blend the nuts until smooth (though they wont be completely smooth, deal with it.)
6. Add the melted chocolate and blend until combined.
7. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture in the processor while the blade is running.
Additional step, if you prefer smooth, creaminess: strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer.
8. Transfer the spread into air tight jars and refrigerate. The spread will be very thin, but after a few hours in the refrigerator, it will firm up to the consistency we all know and love. This will last for a week or two if kept refrigerated.

Enjoy.

(Note: This recipe is adapted from a recipe listed in the Encyclopédie du Chocolat. Also, check out this tasty looking recipe from Babble.com for Nutella Stuffed Cupcakes with Sea Salted Butter Cream, sign me up!)