Chef Graziella
Babà al Rum Napoletano
The yeast-risen sponge that Naples claimed from Poland and perfected. Baked to a burnished gold, then drowned in rum syrup until it weeps with every bite.
Culinary Explorer
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Gianduiotti di Torino
Created by
The legendary hazelnut chocolates of Turin, invented when Napoleon's blockades made cocoa precious. Piedmont's answer was to stretch it with their incomparable hazelnuts, and the result surpassed the original.
Desserts
Italian, Piedmontese
Holiday
Make Ahead
1 hr
Active Time
30 min cook•3 hr 30 min total
YieldAbout 40 pieces
Gianduiotti are not truffles. They are not bonbons. They are something uniquely Torinese, born from crisis and perfected through generations of cioccolatieri who understood that limitation can produce genius.
The chocolate must yield to the hazelnut, not the other way around. When you bite through the soft, dense confection, you should taste nut first, then chocolate, then the two together in a flavor that neither could produce alone. This is what distinguishes true gianduja from the countless imitations that use too much chocolate or, worse, hazelnut flavoring.
Piedmont hazelnuts are not negotiable. The Tonda Gentile delle Langhe, grown in the hills south of Turin, has a flavor and fat content that no other hazelnut can match. If you cannot find them, use the best Italian hazelnuts available. Never use blanched or pre-skinned nuts from a bag. Toast them yourself. The difference is the difference between making gianduiotti and making chocolate candy with nuts.
When Napoleon's Continental Blockade of 1806 cut off Britain's colonial goods from European markets, cocoa became scarce and ruinously expensive. Torinese chocolatiers, facing ruin, discovered that grinding the abundant local hazelnuts into their chocolate extended their precious supply and created something remarkable. The confection was named for Gianduja, the puppet character who represents Piedmont's good-humored cunning.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Piedmont hazelnuts
Quantity
200g
bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao)
Quantity
150g
finely chopped
milk chocolate
Quantity
100g
finely chopped
confectioners' sugar
Quantity
150g
sifted
unsweetened cocoa powder
Quantity
1 tablespoon
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
hazelnut oil (optional)
Quantity
2 tablespoons
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Piedmont hazelnuts | 200g |
| bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao)finely chopped | 150g |
| milk chocolatefinely chopped | 100g |
| confectioners' sugarsifted | 150g |
| unsweetened cocoa powder | 1 tablespoon |
| fine sea salt | 1/4 teaspoon |
| hazelnut oil (optional) | 2 tablespoons |
Equipment Needed
- •Food processor with sharp blade
- •Double boiler or heatproof bowl
- •Pastry bag with large round tip
- •Rimmed baking sheet
- •Clean kitchen towel for skinning nuts
Instructions
- 1
Toast the hazelnuts
Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a 325°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway through. The nuts are ready when the skins crack and the interior becomes golden and fragrant. You should smell them before you see them. Do not let them darken beyond golden or they will turn bitter.
- 2
Skin the hazelnuts
While the nuts are still hot, bundle them in a clean kitchen towel and rub vigorously. The papery skins will flake away. Do not expect perfection. Some stubborn skin will remain. This is acceptable. Let the skinned nuts cool completely before proceeding.
Patience here prevents disaster later. Warm nuts release oil too quickly when ground and create a greasy, unworkable paste. - 3
Grind to a paste
Place the cooled hazelnuts in a food processor. Process in long pulses, scraping down the sides every 30 seconds. First the nuts will become powder. Then clumps. Then, after several minutes, the oils will release and the mixture will transform into a smooth, flowing paste. This takes 8 to 10 minutes of processing. You cannot rush it. The paste should ribbon from a spoon.
- 4
Melt the chocolate
Combine both chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. The bowl must not touch the water. Stir occasionally until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat. The chocolate should be warm but not hot, around 110°F if you have a thermometer.
- 5
Combine the gianduja
Add the melted chocolate to the hazelnut paste in the food processor. Add the sifted confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Process until completely smooth and homogeneous, about 2 minutes. The mixture will be thick but pourable. If it seems too stiff, add the hazelnut oil and process again.
Taste the gianduja now. It should taste of hazelnuts first, chocolate second. If the hazelnut flavor is not pronounced, your nuts were not toasted enough or were not fresh. - 6
Shape the gianduiotti
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the warm gianduja to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, or use a plastic bag with one corner cut off. Pipe the mixture into 1.5-inch elongated mounds, tapering each end to create the characteristic boat shape. Work while the mixture is still warm and pliable. If it stiffens, warm gently over the water bath and stir until workable again.
- 7
Set and finish
Let the gianduiotti set at cool room temperature for at least 2 hours, or refrigerate for 30 minutes if your kitchen is warm. They are ready when firm to the touch but not hard. Traditionally they are wrapped in gold or silver foil. Store in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to two weeks. Do not refrigerate after setting, or condensation will dull the surface.
Chef Tips
- •Seek out Piedmont hazelnuts from specialty importers. Sicilian hazelnuts are acceptable. Turkish hazelnuts, which dominate supermarket shelves, are inferior in flavor and oil content.
- •The proportion of nut to chocolate is the soul of gianduja. Traditional recipes use equal parts by weight. Modern versions often add more chocolate, which misses the point entirely.
- •If the mixture seizes or becomes grainy, you have introduced moisture. Start over. There is no rescue.
- •True gianduiotti are shaped by hand or piped, never molded. The characteristic tapered boat shape comes from the chocolatier's skill, which you will develop with practice.
Advance Preparation
- •Toasted and skinned hazelnuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week before grinding.
- •Finished gianduiotti keep at cool room temperature for two weeks, or frozen for two months. Thaw at room temperature, never in the refrigerator.
- •The gianduja paste itself can be made one day ahead and refrigerated. Warm gently over a water bath before shaping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 16g)
Calories
90 calories
Total Fat
6 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
4 g
Cholesterol
1 mg
Sodium
17 mg
Total Carbohydrates
8 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
6 g
Protein
1 g
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