Growing up in an Italian family, the holidays were always kissed with chocolate, especially when we celebrated them in Rome. We would always stop at this decades-old chocolate shop near Viale Libia, close to where my grandfather lived to stand in line to get freshly-made gianduia and torrone, studded with whole roasted hazelnuts.

When I make chocolate at home, I like to play around with textures and flavors, but to this day, the combination of chocolate and hazelnut is still my favorite.

Let’s get cooking,

Hazelnut Praline–Swirled Chocolate Fudge Truffles

Servings 36

Ingredients

1 cup raw cacao powder
1 cup melted food-grade raw cacao butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Salt
¼ cup finely ground hazelnut butter

Instructions

Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a high-speed blender, combine the cacao powder, cacao butter, 1 cup maple syrup, 2 teaspoons vanilla and ¼ teaspoon salt. Transfer the cacao powder mixture to the prepared pan, spreading evenly; refrigerate until starting to set, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a high-speed blender, combine the hazelnut butter, remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until a squeezable consistency forms. Place in a resealable plastic bag and snip ¼ inch off a corner; squeeze parallel lines onto the filling and using a knife, draw perpendicular lines alternating directions to create a swirl pattern. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.