Makes about 2 cups (500 ml)

The title says it all, and, yes, I was inspired by Nutella to make this
luscious spread. I adore Nutella, and this is even better, more richly
flavored, more elegant. And it makes a relatively small quantity, so it
is something to truly savor, every single mouthful.
Nutella is that sinfully rich chocolate and hazelnut spread that Mr. Pietro
Ferrero, an Italian candy magnate from Piemonte, Italy, developed
after World War II. Chocolate was in short supply and taxes on it were
high, so to extend it Mr. Ferrero ground the sweet, local tonde gentile
hazelnut to a paste and added it to chocolate. He had a model to
follow, for giandujotti, small hazelnut and chocolate confections
developed to cut back on the costs of pure chocolate confections in
the mid-1800s, had already made Turin candy makers famous
throughout Italy. Mr. Ferrero’s chocolate-extender took the form of a Velveeta-like
block, ready for slicing and slapping between two pieces of bread. It
wasn’t until several years later that Mr. Ferrero turned his mixture into
one of spreadable consistency. Sometime later he and his colleagues
renamed it Nutella. Today its popularity knows no bounds, and it is
available in everything from tiny tablespoon-sized containers to giant
2-pound jars.

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 cups (300 g) hazelnuts
• ¾ cup (90 g) confectioners’ sugar ¼ cup (40 g) good-quality unsweetened dark cocoa powder, such as
  Valrhona or Scharffen Berger
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, or more if necessary (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread the hazelnuts on a jelly roll pan and toast them until you can smell them, about 10 minutes.
2. Remove them from the oven and place them in a cotton towel.
3. Scrub and roll them around in the towel to remove the skins.
4. When the hazelnuts are skinned (don’t be concerned if you cannot remove all the skin—just do the best you can), place the hazelnuts in a food processor and process until the nuts make a smooth paste, which
   will take some time, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder and process again until all the ingredients are
   thoroughly mixed.
6. Add the salt, process, and if the mixture is very dry, add the canola oil while the machine is running. Taste for seasoning.
7. If the mixture is very warm, let it cool completely before transferring it to a jar and sealing it.
8. It will keep for about 1 month in a cool, dark spot.

Note: This spread is as addictive as its inspiration. I add 5
tablespoons of cocoa to the mixture, which gives it a very satisfying
chocolate and hazelnut flavor—you may want to add a bit more or a
bit less.
I call for neutral oil here, which gives it a lovely spreadable
consistency. If you leave out the oil—which I do on occasion—the
flavor is still the same, but it is a bit more solid and less easy to
spread.
Finally, don’t expect the completely smooth texture of commercial
Nutella here. Think of this as the “crunchy” version!