Vegan MoFo #10 - Ferrero Rocher XXL

After making Peanut Caramel Bars last week I thought I would try making some chocolates this week. I've never made chocolates before, and I decided to make my favourite chocolates from my pre-vegan days - Ferrero Rocher.

Only these aren't quite the same as their dairy-laden counterpart. They're bigger, they're better and they are insanely moreish. I dare you to eat just one.

A roasted hazelnut surrounded by a crunchy chocolate mixture, encased in dark chocolate, rolled in chopped roasted hazelnuts, and then coated in another layer of dark chocolate. Oh my.

This recipe is a bit more complex, and takes more time than others but it's totally worth it!

These would be perfect as a gift...to yourself for being so awesome.

Ferrero Rocher XXL

Makes 18

1C vegan chocolate hazelnut spread

10 weetabix, blitzed to make 2.5C crumbs

200g roasted hazelnuts

400g dark chocolate

In a large mixing bowl stir the weetabix crumbs into the chocolate spread to form a moist mixture. Using damp hands, flatten a heaped tablespoon of the mixture, place a whole hazelnut in the middle and close the mixture around it. This is quite fiddly, but you'll get the hang of it! Make sure to rinse your hands between each one to ensure the mixture doesn't stick to you! Place the balls onto a baking tray and once each one is rolled put them in the fridge for an hour to set.

Melt 200g of chocolate either in the microwave or using a double boiler and set aside. Blitz the remainder of the hazelnuts until they are coarsely chopped and pour into a shallow bowl. Remove the balls from the fridge and use two forks to carefully roll each one in the melted chocolate, making sure the ball is completely coated before lifting it out with one of the forks. Tap the fork on the side of the bowl repeatedly until all the excess chocolate has dripped off. Transfer the coated ball to the chopped hazelnuts and use a fork to roll it until it is evenly coated. Transfer to a baking tray and continue with the rest of the balls. Once they are all coated in the chocolate and hazelnuts return to the fridge for another hour to set.

Melt the remaining 200g of chocolate and set aside. Remove the balls from the fridge and use the same method as before to coat half of them in the dark chocolate. (You can of course coat all of them if you like, I just thought it looked really pretty to have a mixture of the two) Return to the fridge for a couple of hours to set.

To serve these I placed each Ferrero Rocher in a mini cupcake case and placed them in a gift box.

Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.