"Nutella" Pudding
To make this pudding, you'll need: milk, half and half, butter, a vanilla bean, egg yolks, hazelnuts, dark chocolate, cornstarch and sugar.
First step: toast the hazelnuts.
This recipe calls for six egg yolks. Yep, 6.
Once the nuts have cooled, you can easily rub off the skins -- use a towel, or just your fingers.
Amanda takes the de-skinned hazelnuts for a spin in the the food processor.
The resulting toasted hazelnut crumble smelled amazing.
We loved this step: Arathi has you infuse the milk and half and half with the pulverized nuts and vanilla seeds.
While the milk steeps, it's time to fit the chocolate into the equation.
Chocolate and butter. 3 minutes on the stove. Any questions?
Amanda whisks her heart out, mixing all those egg yolks with sugar, salt and cornstarch.
This kind of reminds us of zabaglione.
Another two-person job: straining the infused milk into the eggs, little by little, and whisking all the while so that the eggs don't scramble.
The leftover milky, vanilla-y hazelnut meal was really pretty tasty.
Classic technique #268: looking into the oven while we're supposed to be paying attention to the pudding thickening on the stove.
Once the cornstarch and eggs have worked the magic, it's time to whisk in that glossy chocolate-butter combo from earlier.
Caught 'ya!
Merrill seems perplexed by the blender method, but it's worth the extra effort for the texture it produces. You may need to dig a spatula down around the bottom of the blender to get the pudding...
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Author Notes: Sometimes (actually pretty often) I eat Nutella out of the jar for breakfast. I'll eat it in pretty much any form. I've seen recipes for Nutella panna cotta, but I generally like pudding better than panna cotta, so I thought I'd try to come up with a pudding recipe. After two recent failed attempts at Nutella fudge, I know that Nutella scorches easily and loses its taste when heated too much. So I thought I'd try with good bittersweet chocolate and hazelnuts instead -- a little more adult than Nutella, and less easy to scorch. - Arathi
Food52 Review: Arathi had us at Nutella. Of course, when we read past the recipe title and saw how she steeped the milk with freshly roasted hazelnuts and vanilla before making the base, and that she used Dorie Greenspan's blender method to ensure a velvety mouthfeel, we knew we were in the hands of a pudding expert. This is nursery food with a twist, and it truly tastes like Nutella -- only better. We couldn't resist stealing pinches of the vanilla milk-soaked hazelnuts after we strained them from the base, and we highly suggest you do the same. -A&M - A&M
Serves 8
- 1 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 vanilla bean
- 6 extra-large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large pinch salt
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Let cool. When cool, put in a clean towel and rub vigorously to remove skins (you can also just use your fingers). It's okay if some skin is left on -- you're going to strain later.
- Chop the cooled hazelnuts to a coarse crumb in a food processor.
- Make the hazelnut-infused cream: Put the milk and half and half in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and add both the bean and seeds to the milk. Add the hazelnuts and heat to scalding over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar and salt together in a large bowl until thick and pale yellow.
- In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Strain the milk-hazelnut mixture into the egg yolk mixture, half a cup at a time, whisking after each addition until you've added about a cup and a half. Then strain and whisk in the rest of the milk. Return to the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the custard is thick and starts to bubble, about 3 minutes.
- Strain the thickened custard into a clean bowl. Stir in the melted chocolate-butter mixture.
- Optional, but highly recommended: Scrape the entire pudding into a blender or food processor and process for about 30 seconds, until silky-smooth. I learned this from Dorie Greenspan's pudding recipes, and it really gives the pudding a wonderful lightness.
- Spoon the pudding into small ramekins or dessert cups, cover with plastic wrap and chill, overnight if possible. DO NOT eat it unchilled -- right after you make it the flavors will not have blended and will taste a little off.
- Your Best Pudding Contest Finalist!
Tags: comfort food, kid-friendly
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2 months ago Mishie
So excited to try this! Could the same result be achieved by replacing the last blender step with a hand mixer? I don't have a blender but silky smooth pudding sounds like something to strive for :)
over 1 year ago marynn
Oh drat, cookiecakes! I just read your suggestion after having shoved the poached hazelnuts down the disposal. Hmmm...guess I'll just have to make this unbelievable pudding again. Sarah, this is divine. I could not get my husband out of the kitchen (which was OK 'cause that way, he could clean up).
over 1 year ago cookiecakes
This is the second time in a month I am making this! It is absolutely heavenly. If you don't want to waste those delicious cream-cooked nuts, chop them up with graham crakers in the food processor, press into a square baking dish and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. When the crust is cool, pour the pudding over and top with whip cream!!! Nutella Pudding Pie!
over 1 year ago Arathi
Oh wow! I'm so glad you liked it! The chopped but crust is an AWESOME idea! I will definitely try that out the next time I make this. Thanks!
over 1 year ago Minimally Invasive
Arathi - I just made a batch of Nutella Pudding and I'm lucky it made it to the fridge. If it tastes this good warm (when the flavors are off), I'm in real trouble tomorrow! Can't wait to dig in. Thanks for submitting this recipe.
over 1 year ago Arathi
Oooh! I'm so glad you liked it, and excited that you tried it out. Let me know how it tastes cold - it's just my preference to eat it cold because I feel it tastes more Nutella-y that way. Let me know what you think, and thanks so much for letting me know!
over 1 year ago Minimally Invasive
Hi Arathi, I can't reply to your reply, but just wanted you to know that it. was. incredible. I'll have to sample it again and often to determine the ideal serving temperature, but I don't think there's a wrong one. :)
about 2 years ago LocalSavour
Nutella. Pudding. Um, there's really nothing more to say then that. Congrats on being a finalist!
about 2 years ago Arathi
Thank you!
about 2 years ago LittleRobinRed
I made this and the flavor was amazing! Better than Nutella, if that's possible. Hard to believe the nuts aren't even in there when it's all said and done because there's so much hazelnut flavor. The texture of my pudding was a little lumpy, I did skip the last straining and didn't do the food processor step, so I would recommend that others be less lazy. My pudding was also a little runny, I'm thinking I should have cooked it a little longer. I just took it right off the heat as soon at it started to boil.
about 2 years ago Arathi
So glad you liked it! I think the last straining is what would chiefly reduce lumpiness. But I hear you on skipping those steps - I'm always tempted to do it so I don't have to clean even more dishes.
about 2 years ago monkeymom
Nutella is a favorite at our house. This recipe looks great! Congrats on making the finals.
about 2 years ago Arathi
Thanks monkeymom!
about 2 years ago TiggyBee
What a cool recipe! Congrats on this!!
about 2 years ago Arathi
Thank you TiggyBee!
about 2 years ago singing_baker
Congrats on being a finalist! I loooove nutella. I can't wait to try this!
about 2 years ago Arathi
Thank you singing_baker! I made your roasted fennel and white bean dip for a party last weekend and everyone loved it. Thank you so much!
about 2 years ago gwennw
I have the dessert course for my next dinner party! I absolutely cannot keep a jar of Nutella in my house anymore. Between my daughter and I, it will last just a few days....a spoon here, and spoon there... Next thing you know, we have finished off an entire jar in two days!
about 2 years ago Arathi
Thank you gwennw! Do let me know if you try it out! I love this Nutella-jar-eaters club :)
about 2 years ago mjlandry
I just ate a heaping tablespoon of Nutella from the jar and then i come to this website and see this pudding recipe! You have got to be kidding. I am making this ASAP! Sounds like a delicious pudding:-)
about 2 years ago Arathi
Thank you! Please let me know how it turnd out if you do try it!
about 2 years ago Sagegreen
Congrats, Arathi, on being a finalist. Nutella sure can hit a soft spot with a lot of folks!
about 2 years ago lapadia
I second this comment!!
about 2 years ago Arathi
I know! I'm so happy to find more people share my love of Nutella.
about 2 years ago Waverly
NUTELLA! NUTELLA! NUTELLA!
about 2 years ago Arathi
Ha :) This summarizes my thought process :)
about 2 years ago violist
AH, Nutella. I was introduced to something like it in Italy, but it then took another 20 years before I discovered it here with that name! To section an apple, and spread it with Nutella, is one of lives great culinary pleasures. Elvis, if he would have known about Nutella, would have NEVER used peanut butter. I can't wait to make this pudding. Thanks, Arathi
about 2 years ago Arathi
Thank you! The Nutella-apple combo sounds great, I will definitely be trying it out.
about 2 years ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Wow, this sounds absolutely lovely. Love the idea of hazelnut infused milk!
about 2 years ago Arathi
Thank you fiveandspice. I have been eyeing your Suspiciously Delicious Cabbage for some time now, it looks amazing.
about 2 years ago Midge
Congrats Arathi! I might just have to lift my Nutella ban and make this. Sounds and looks really wonderful.
about 2 years ago Arathi
Thanks Midge!
about 2 years ago alamesa
I can't get half and half here in Spain.So many recipes I read from the U.S. require it. Any suggestions as to what I could use instead would be much appreciated.
about 2 years ago hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.
A close enough approximation is to mix 3/4 whole milk to 1/4 heavy whipping cream.
about 2 years ago katiegirl
This looks amazing and my husband loves nutella so I'm definitely going to make this one.
about 2 years ago Anatole
Mon Dieu! Congratulations.
about 2 years ago Cipriani
I made this yesterday and it was truly spectacular. Very inventive. Congrats, Arathi!
about 2 years ago Arathi
I am SO thrilled that you tried it and it worked out for you! Thanks so much for letting me know.