How to make your own Ferrero Rocher – as the Christmas shortage looms
In October, a poor hazelnut harvest in Turkey, the world’s largest producer of the nuts, caused fears about the cost and availability of that beloved and fail-safe cornershop box – Ferrero Rocher. Now, stocks of those glamorous pralines are at risk once more, with staff at a major chocolate factory voting to strike.
Industrial action has been voted for by workers at the Worksop site of Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate, one of the UK’s largest supplier of cocoa products to the confectionery industry, including to the manufacturers of Ferrero Rocher – which could have troubling consequences for the last-minute gifters among us.
Italian company Ferrero first found fame with the launch of Nutella hazelnut spread in the 1960s. This was followed in the early 1980s by the unveiling of the crinkly golden balls which swiftly became a global sensation, thanks in no small part to the memorable 1993 TV ad featuring the ambassador’s party. Today, the chocolates can be found everywhere from petrol stations to pharmacies in 140 countries across the world.
Classed as “pralines” because of the high nut content, the multi-layered treats are made of a roasted hazelnut covered in a creamy chocolate filling, then encased in a wafer sphere before a final dip in a coating of milk chocolate and chopped hazelnuts.
So with a potential shortage on the horizon, can a passable imitation be made at home to fill the gap?
How to make your own Ferrero Rochers
Click here to skip to ingredients and method
The process is complex, not least because of the unique wafer sphere. I used a classic chocolate ganache for the filling of my homemade imitation (which, technically, makes my version more of a truffle than a praline) and tried several nut and chocolate combinations to discover what worked best in place of the classic roasted hazelnut.
Lacking the tiny hemisphere moulds needed to make my own wafers, I decided crushed biscuit crumbs would have to do for the crispy layer. I used a rolling pin to crush thin butter biscuits into fine, light crumbs and also got great results with a slightly darker crumb by crushing amaretti biscotti.
You’ll need to set time aside for chopping and toasting the nuts, cooling and rolling the ganache as well as setting the chocolate. And as we’re using fresh cream, the truffles should be kept in the fridge and eaten within a few days, though they also freeze beautifully.
I used petit four cases (available in rainbow colours from Waitrose or in gold foil from Amazon) and a dusting of edible glitter in place of the gold wrapping.
What nuts make the best alternative?
For the centre, small roasted and skinned nuts work best, though larger ones such as pecan or brazils can be cut smaller. You may like to try ready roasted and salted nuts, such as small macadamia or peanuts. The salt may not be traditional but it’s a great pairing for the chocolate.
Colourwise, pistachio kernels retain their vibrant green if you leave them unroasted and instead cover with hot water and leave for a couple of minutes before rubbing in a tea towel to remove the skins.
I finely chopped the nuts for coating with a large knife, though pulsing in a small food processor would probably have been more efficient. You may also like to vary the chocolate as well as the nuts – I had very successful results with the following pairings: almond and milk chocolate; peanut and dark chocolate; pistachio and white chocolate.
Chocolate nut truffles
Scale the recipe up or down by sticking to a ratio of twice chocolate to cream for the silky ganache filling. The finished chocolates are slightly larger than the Ferrero Rocher they are inspired by.
Timings
Prep time: 45 minutes, plus cooling time
Makes
30
Ingredients
400g milk chocolate, finely chopped
150ml carton double cream
? tsp vanilla extract
30 small whole roasted nuts
100g wafers or amaretti, crushed into fine crumbs
100g chopped nuts, toasted and finely chopped
Edible gold glitter (optional)
Method
1. Put 300g of the finely chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to the boil in another pan, then pour over the chocolate. Leave for 2 minutes, then add the vanilla and stir until smooth. Cool, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours until firm.
2. Scoop a teaspoon of the ganache into your hand. Roll into a ball then push a nut into the centre. Roll the ball in the crumbs then transfer to a plate and chill for 1 hour. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
3. Melt the remaining chopped chocolate in a microwave or small bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Using a small fork, dip a ball first into the chocolate, shaking off any excess, then into the chopped nuts, shaking until evenly coated. Return the coated balls to the plate and repeat with the remaining balls. Set the chocolate aside at room temperature and chill the truffles for 20 minutes.
4. Roll the set truffles in a little more of the melted chocolate which should still be soft enough – you can do this between your palms or with a brush. Chill until ready to serve.
5. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Dust lightly with glitter, if you wish, and place in petit four cases before serving or packing into a gift box.
