Easy homemade Ferrero-style chocolate hazelnut rocher truffles with toasted nuts. This small-batch milk chocolate recipe needs no added sugar or cream.
Milk Chocolate Truffles with Toasted Hazelnut Crunch
These little rochers started years ago when the girls discovered a little cookbook in their Christmas stocking: L'atelier Oursons & Guimauves (Larousse). They pounced on the recipe for these chocolate hazelnut truffles first, as it was the easiest. Since then, it has become our December ritual, along with Granny's no-bake chocolate and coconut snowballs. Tree decorated, Advent calendar bags hanging on the staircase, carols blaring, and hands in melted chocolate and toasted nuts.
The mess is part of the fun. Warm hands help the milk chocolate firm just enough to roll around a whole hazelnut before plunging each ball into crunchy roasted nuts. The girls always took this very seriously, especially Lucie, who made sure to enjoy every "crunchy thing" before her orthodontist appointment. Priorities.
Every family has its quirks, too. My auntie in Scotland, who knits absolutely everything (dolls, animals, mythical creatures), once produced knitted Ferrero Rocher warmers. Yes. Tiny woollen jackets to keep your rochers cosy. Only in Scotland - and I'll refrain from my fun pun on that one, no matter how much I'm itching to say it!
Why We Love These Rochers
- Just 3 ingredients: just good quality hazelnuts (Italian if you can), hazelnut purée (no added stuff, just ground hazelnuts) and milk chocolate
- Small batch: makes 15 perfectly-sized bites
- No added sugar: milk chocolate brings all the sweetness - it's already in it
- Pure hazelnut paste: replaces cream, adds flavour without heaviness. Ensure it's a pure 100% hazelnut purée with no added sugar
- Toasted hazelnuts: the flavour booster that makes them taste truly "rocher"
I adapted the recipe to make it even easier: no need to melt chocolate again to coat them. Instead of a ganache with heavy cream or butter, I simply melt just the chocolate in a bain-marie. The hazelnut paste does the rest of the work for you!
How to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Rocher Truffles (Super Simple Method)
Here's the quick version of how we make these Ferrero-style milk chocolate rochers at home.
Toast the hazelnuts in the oven for 10 minutes to bring out their flavour. Keep 15 whole; bash the rest in a bag with a rolling pin.
(Go fine or chunky; I love big crunchy bits!)
Melt the milk chocolate gently over a double boiler and stir in a spoonful of pure hazelnut paste. It thickens naturally as it chills in the refrigerator.
Shape the centres: once the chocolate mixture cools and firms to a paste, roll small scoops around a whole roasted hazelnut.
Roll in hazelnuts: roll each one in the palm of your hands, each straight into the crushed nuts. (Your hand warmth helps make it stick to the nuts). If the chocolate hardens too much, simply add a little more hazelnut paste.
That's it. No extra dipping, no double melting - just your own quick, delicious milk chocolate hazelnut candy. Minimal steps, maximum crunch.
Transfer to a chocolate box and, if you can resist having these sweet treats yourself, they make great food gifts for Christmas.
More Food Gifts and Chocolate Hazelnut Recipes
For those of you who love hazelnut chocolates!
- Chocolate Mendiants - add toasted hazelnuts
- Chocolate chip hazelnut cookies with lower sugar and tons of flavour
- Parisian layered chocolate cake - a decadent showstopper with nuts
Chocolate Hazelnut Rocher Truffles
Equipment
- Rolling Pin optional
Ingredients
- 75 g (3 oz) whole hazelnuts (keep 15 aside whole)
- 170 g (6oz) milk chocolate chopped or broken
- 1 tablespoon pure hazelnut purée (100% hazelnuts)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan/Gas 6) and toast all the hazelnuts in the oven for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool then wipe off any skins using a clean tea towel. (This step can be omitted if your hazelnuts are already toasted).Keep aside 15 whole hazelnuts and crush the rest in a food processor (or place them in a bag and bash them using a rolling pin) then place the crushed nuts in a bowl.
- Melt the milk chocolate gently in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water (bain-marie). As soon as the chocolate has melted, take off the heat and place the bowl on the tea towel. Stir vigorously to cool the chocolate and stir in the hazelnut paste until smooth. Chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Keep your eye on it until you have a mixture that resembles a gorgeous, chocolatey putty. (See NOTES)
- Using a teaspoon and your fingers, break off a walnut size of milk chocolate 'putty', roll it in the palm of your hands into a ball. Push a toasted hazelnut into the centre and roll again, ensuring that the hazelnut is completely covered. Roll each one immediately in the chopped hazelnuts and complete the process until you have 15 balls.
- Place the rocher chocolate nutty truffles on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and leave to set at room temperature for 1½ hours.
Notes
This recipe was originally posted 17th December 2013 but is now completely updated.
Cynthia
wow! These look good! I love an edible gift for the holidays!
Jill Colonna
They're great - the toasted hazelnuts make all the difference and milk chocolate already has the sugar in it.
Hope you try them soon, Cynthia x
Enrique
This rocher truffles looks good you can post other candy recipes of the book of L'atelier oursond and guimauves,pleace.thanks
David Scott Allen
How fun to have this simple recipe that makes something so elegant! I can’t wait to try them! Joyeux Noël!
Jill Colonna
They're messy - you've been warned, David - but they're delicious! Joyeux Noël to both of you, too.
Lucie
I wish you could make these rocher again, they were so much fun to make and especially to eat 😉 🙂
Lora
Both the candy and the macs = wow!
Shirley Moffat
Another super recipe Jill - it is nice to make something different at Christmas as it is so easy to buy everything but I think we all appreciate items that have been home made. I am sure Julie and Lucie loved helping you make these sweets!!
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures
These look way better then rocher truffles!
Jen
Ooh I love those things! I never thought to make my own...
Jamie
(oooh I love the macaron ball christmas decorations!!). These rocher truffles look outrageously good and I'll bet they are even better than the store bought. Fabulous... and they balance out perfectly with macs! I really do want to make some (only because they are pretty and because I love them so much).
And macs under the tree? Well... on the tree? Chocolate and coffee but for the holidays they must be sprayed with gold! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours, dear Jill!
Jill
Hope you enjoy them, Jamie. Thanks for all your lovely comments and support on le blog. It's you that's sprayed in gold this festive season! Cheers to delicious adventures in 2014!
Vicki Bensinger
Ooh I love these Jill but please tell me what is the equivalent to a dessert spoon in U.S. measurements? My husband would love these as would the rest of us.
Jill
I've updated the recipe, Vicki. It's a tablespoon.
Enjoy them and have a wonderful holiday!
Marilyn Smiser
My macarons turned out. Feet and no cracking. I have to credit "Mad About Macarons".
Merci
Jill
Thank you for getting in touch, Marilyn. If that's your first recipe from the book, there's no stopping you now! Enjoy yourself.
Marilyn Smiser
As I am reading this, my first recipe out of your book - macarons are doing their 30 minute wait till the oven. My fingers are crossed. Yours look great.