The ancient town of Alba, Italy has seen both good times and bad. By the 11th century it had been sacked numerous times by a variety of conquering armies: Ostrogoths, Burgundians, Byzantines, Lombards, Franks, Hungarians and, last but not least, Muslims. It was later fought over by rivals Spain and Italy. In the 20th century, at the end of World War II, the town received a Gold Medal for Military Valour for the heroic activities undertaken by its citizens during the Italian resistance movement.

When it is not attracting military types, Alba is well-known for its aromatic white truffles, scrumptious peaches, and sweet wines. It is known also for the abundance of hazelnuts grown there. More hazelnuts than its farmers knew what to do with apparently, because in 1925 a local bakery owner named Pietro Ferrero came up with the idea to mix ground hazelnuts with chocolate to create something sweet and inexpensive for workers to eat with bread.

The reaction of the workers cannot be confirmed, but Ferrero’s invention was an instant hit with the children of the town. The original concoction was in the form of a solid block, to which cocoa butter was added by Pietro in 1946 in an effort to soften it up a bit. It was Pietro’s son, Michele, who transformed the rich mixture into its current spreadable form in 1951 and started to sell it in jars all across Italy and around the world. And thus a great confectionary empire was born.

The rest of the world dipped its spoons into those jars with just as much fervour as the Italians, but many decades later one litigious individual took serious issue with its claim to be a part of a nutritious breakfast. In her successful 2012 lawsuit the California-based mother took the manufacturer to task for advertising the health benefits of the chocolate-hazelnut spread when, in fact, a single US-sized serving (two tablespoons) of it contains 21 grams of sugar, 200 calories, and 11 grams of fat (3.5 of which are saturated). It seems the poor woman had been feeding it to her four-year-old daughter quite regularly before the whole, not-so-sweet truth finally dawned on her.

And while Pietro’s delightful invention — which comprises a few main ingredients, namely sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa solids, and milk powder — has pleased several millions of regular consumers, it has also irritated some powerful ones. Earlier this summer France’s ecology minister accused the chocolate-hazelnut spread of doing environmental damage. Segolene Royal made headlines when she accused the product of causing deforestation because of its high demand for palm oil and she urged people to boycott it as punishment for this damage.

Spread it on a paratha or fill it inside a pastry, chocolate and roasted hazelnuts combine to create a luscious treat for aficionados of all ages

In response to her allegation, the World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace came to the manufacturer’s defence. They said that the reality was in fact the opposite and the company was an industry leader in responsible sourcing of palm oil. The issue is very real, they said, but the finger has been pointed at the wrong company. Both hoped that other companies would follow Ferrero’s example of voluntary controlling practices for sustainable palm oil. Soon after her mistake was highlighted, the minister offered “a thousand apologies” for speaking out of line.

Still, if you would prefer to avoid the large percentage of palm oil found in your favourite spread and save money while doing it, here is a reliable recipe for a homemade version.

Homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread

Ingredients

2 cups raw hazelnuts

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons hazelnut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast until they are dark brown and fragrant, about 12 to 15 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as they can quickly go from perfect roasted to burnt.

Once cooled, place the hazelnuts in a cloth and rub vigorously to remove the skins. Some will stubbornly remain in place; this is okay. Process the hazelnuts in a food processor until their oil is released and they form a smooth paste, two to five minutes, scraping the bowl often.

Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, hazelnut oil, vanilla extract and salt and process until fully incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed, about two minutes. The mixture will loosen and become glossy. Transfer the spread to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. You can store it in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to one month.

Chocolate-hazelnut mousse

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream

14 teaspoon instant coffee granules

12 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread

Directions

Combine heavy cream and coffee granules in a small mixing bowl. Stir until dissolved, about five minutes. Add chocolate-hazelnut spread. Beat with electric mixer on medium for one minute.

Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl, and continue beating for about one minute until very soft peaks form. Mousse mixture is very soft / loose at this point, but will firm up when chilled. Divide evenly into individual serving dishes, and chill at least four hours.

Chocolate-hazelnut brownies

Ingredients

12 cup all-purpose flour

14 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread

12 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 cup unsalted butter, softened

Directions

Put rack in the centre of the oven. Preheat oven at 325°F. In a bowl, mix flour and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, with an electric mixer, beat eggs, chocolate-hazelnut spread, brown sugar and vanilla until the mixture is creamy and homogeneous, about two minutes. At low speed, add dry ingredients alternating with melted butter. Spread in a greased nine-inch square pan. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out with lumps and not completely clean. Let cool in the pan about two hours. Remove from pan and cut in squares.

Chocolate-hazelnut cookies

Ingredients

1 34 cups all-purpose flour

14 cup unsweetened cocoa

12 teaspoon baking soda

14 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)

34 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

Directions

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat chocolate-hazelnut spread and butter with an electric mixer until smooth and combined. Beat in the brown sugar, then the egg. Add the flour mixture with mixer on low speed until dough comes together. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Use the wrap to shape into a two-inch-diameter log. Secure tightly, and chill for two hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice the dough log into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rolling the log 90 degrees between slices to keep edges round. Transfer the slices to a greased baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until cookies are firm and dry. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 30th, 2015

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