Recipe Hunting 101 - Homemade Hazelnut/Almond Spread

I am a Nutella addict.  I am not ashamed of this addiction, in fact I embrace it and try to lure everyone I know and love into it's smooth clutches.  So far, it is working.  My best friend, Alicia is now an addict.  Just the other day I was at my parent's house and saw a brand new jar of Nutella sitting so prettily upon there countertop, so I have finally reached them.  I've made mutliple posts about Nutella on Facebook, so I'd also like to take credit for any of my FB friends who have Nutella perched nicely in their cupboards at home.  You know, now that I think about it, I should really be paid for all the foot work I am doing for the Nutella company.  I might have to write to the company and make my case!

Anyway, last week, my friend Shannon sent me a link to a recipe for a version of homemade nutella.  The recipe was really, really simple; which I love.  However, one thing you must have, to get this one right, is a food processor.  I have a really cute yellow KitchenAid food processor.  This thing is simply amazing.  It is a must have kitchen accessory, so if you don't have one, ask your loved ones for one for Christmas.  They come in a variety of colors, so you can match your kitchen decor.  How much fun is that?!  It also, makes life that much more simpler.  You can toss everything into the processor, turn it on and walk away for a few minutes and when you get back, voila, it's fnished!  Well....that is how it is supposed to work.  I had a bit of a problem with mine today.  I had tossed all my roasted nuts into the processor, locked the lid into place, flipped the "ON" switch on and the red light turned on and then......nothing happened.  Ahhhh!!  I pulled everything off, put everything back together and nothing again.  I tried to remain calm, cool and collected while inside I was freaking out.  How could my beautiful KitchenAid processor not be working.  It is like the Queen of all Food Processor's.  It can't fail!!!  Well, I was almost to the point of whipping out my screwdriver and opening the sucker up.  Thank God, I didn't get that far because I wouldn't have known what to do with it with all its guts exposed.  It could have gone very bad, but luckily I happened to tug on the lid a little bit so it was pressing harder on the lock mechanism and it worked!!!  Are my troubleshooting skills good or what?  I had to stand there, clasping the lid with all my might, the entire time it was operating but at least I got it to work so I was able to have a post for this week. Whew, that was a close call! 

The end product was very yummy and very much like Nutella.  I will still always be a loyal Nutella consumer but once in a while, making it oneself is a deliciously fun treat!

Homemade Hazelnut/Almond Spread  - recipe modified from Lucy Baker via Serious Eats

Ingredients:
1 cup hazelnuts
1 cup almonds
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp canola oil
pinch of salt

Directions:
1.  Roast the hazelnuts and almonds at 375F on a baking pan for 8-10 minutes.
2.  Transfer the hazelnuts to a kitchen towel and rub them to get as much of the shells off as you can.  Don't worry though, you won't get all of this off and that is just fine.
3.  Process the almonds and hazelnuts in a food processor until they form a smooth paste, about 5 minutes.  Add the powdered sugar, salt and cocoa and process until smooth.  Add the canola oil while the processor is running, until combined well. 
4.  Transfer to a container and store in the fridge for up to a month.