Dried fruit paste

Hazelnut paste is a paste that is semi-fluid and is made up of 100% hazelnuts, there is no other ingredient inside. The hazelnuts are toasted and then blended until a semi-fluid mixture is obtained.

You can buy it ready or make it at home, you can also find it under the name "hazelnut butter" or "hazelnut cream" (this applies to all types of dried fruit).

If you buy it, pay close attention that it does not have other ingredients inside, because in general Pasta and Butter are 100% dried fruit, but Creams often have other ingredients such as powdered milk, oil, lecithin, sugar, etc. because they can be enjoyed like this , while 100% Pasta is very concentrated and cloying on the palate if eaten alone.

It can be used to flavor creams, mousses, ice creams etc 

For example, try this hazelnut custard .

Also try the hazelnut praline, it is similar but contains caramelized sugar. The recipe here .

Method

Preheat the fan oven to 180˚.

Prepare a baking tray with baking paper or silicone mat. 

Pour over the hazelnuts. 

Toast for about 20 minutes, occasionally moving the hazelnuts with a spoon. The skin must come off.  

Allow to cool for 10 minutes at room temperature. So remove the cuticle now. I suggest two methods.

Rub the hazelnuts between your hands to remove as much skin as possible. 

Or transfer the hazelnuts to a clean cloth, close tightly and rub the cloth. 

Transfer the hazelnuts to a powerful grinder. Operate at maximum power.  

Now it will take several minutes to get to the final result.

First of all the hazelnuts will be chopped into coarse powder.

Then you will start to form a paste, the paste is now still dense and rough, it is not ready, you have to continue blending to release all the oil contained in the hazelnuts.

When the pasta is semi-fluid it is ready. Then transfer to a container.