Cocoa & hazelnut compound butter

 "Feast of Saint Valentine"

 This has got to be one of the best butters I have ever made. Last year I went on a compound butter spree.  The smell alone is just beyond awesome. I purchased that hazelnut flavoring a while back to use in home-made hot chocolates and totally forgot about it. While rummaging the cupboards to come up with this recipe I spotted it in the back and a light bulb went off.

I’m not the kind of girl that butters my toast, I actually hate the flavor of straight butter. Nope…I never butter my toast!  I always use butter to cook foods, so most of its strong flavor goes away. However since last year I have been experimenting with home-made flavored butters. I have made several variations and flavor combinations and needless to say, I have developed a strong appreciation for the fat.

My butter resume includes, Garlic herb butter, which is the most popular in my home, and finishes the fastest when I make it because we use it for garlic bread, eggs, mashed potatoes you name it. I also made a Bacon & green onion butter (dabomb.com), Orange cinnamon butter, coconut curry butter, which is spectacular with shrimp, and a beyond amazing spicy southwest butter. That southwest butter is filed with smokey roasted peppers, chili, cayenne paprika..soo good! And as good as that butter was this chocolate hazelnut butter is better!

I dare you to make some French toast using this butter…..I think I may just go do that right now!

Ingredients (Printable recipe)

1 stick salted butter

1 teaspoon hazelnut flavoring

2 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoon grated Jamaican cocoa balls (or unsweetened bakers chocolate)

½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts

Instructions

• Whip the room temperature butter in a mixer for 8-10 minutes until it get light and fluffy
• While the butter is whipping chop the hazelnuts and grate the cocoa
• To the whipped butter add the hazelnut flavoring and honey, mix thoroughly
• On low speed add the hazelnuts, cocoa and cinnamon
• At this point you can serve the soft butter or Spoon the mixture unto a parchment paper and roll, twist both ends to secure
• Chill in the refrigerator for apx 30 minutes slice and serve.

Greedy tips:

• Use sofetened butter, not too cold but not too warm
• Don’t allow the butter to melt, melted butter wont whip to be fluffy it will be oily. So if your butter is too melted  place it back in the refrigerator to firm up
• If you don’t have the Jamaican cocoa balls you can grate 2 oz of bakers unsweetened chocolate
• Make sure not to blend the hazelnuts too fine, you don’t want it too powdery. 
• I prefer to use salted butter because i think it enhances the flavor of the honey, however you can also use unsalted butter. 
• Click here  to check out other butters I have made

Xoxo Greedygirl