Description
This chocolate torrone is a vegan version made with dark chocolate, coconut oil, and hazelnuts and inspired by a traditional Italian Christmas torrone.
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200 grams) dark chocolate (75% or higher)
- ~ ½ cup (50 grams) hazelnuts (unsalted and unroasted)
- 2 tablespoons (50 grams) coconut oil (at room temperature)
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon (3 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) maple syrup
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C). Every 5 minutes, shake the baking sheet so the hazelnuts can reposition themselves and evenly roast.
Remove the hazelnuts from the oven and let them cool slightly. Place the roasted hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel and rub all the hazelnuts together to remove the skin. Most of the hazelnuts should have no skin anymore after doing this. Don’t worry if there are a few still with the skin. Discard the hazelnut skins.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot with boiling water (Au Bain Marie). Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a microwave. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted.
Add hazelnuts, coconut oil salt, vanilla, and maple syrup to the melted chocolate. Stir to combine.
Pour the chocolate hazelnut mixture into a rectangular loaf pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mold.
Let it rest in the fridge for a few hours or until hardened.
Remove the hardened block from the silicone mold, or lift the torrone out of the loaf pan when using parchment paper.
Cut in slices (about an inch/2 cm thick) and serve.
Notes
Loaf pan
You can use a loaf pan for this recipe lined with parchment paper, but I highly recommend a silicone baking mold to create clean squares. A 9-inch (24 x11x7cm) silicone mold is perfect for this recipe.
Sweetener
Feel free to experiment with other liquid sweeteners. If you prefer the taste of dark chocolate, you can reduce the sweetener or omit the sweetener for an intense chocolate flavor.
Chocolate and hazelnuts
The chocolate you choose will have a significant impact on the final result. Feel free to experiment with both the chocolate and the nuts. Pistachios and almonds are great alternatives to hazelnuts.
To set the torrone
There are three methods to set this chocolate torrone. In the fridge, it will take a few hours to set; in the freezer, it will take about half an hour; on the counter at room temperature, it will take about 12 hours/overnight.
If your torrone comes out of the fridge or freezer and is still very firm, let it sit at room temperature to soften before slicing it.
Coconut oil
I don’t recommend skipping or replacing the coconut oil for this recipe. Any other oil (even neutral oils) will give this recipe a different and less pleasant flavor. This might be a personal preference, though. Avoid extra virgin olive oil, as this will not be a pleasant oil for this recipe.