Homemade Crunchy Nutella

Make the hazelnut brittle:Lightly grease a sheet pan with butter and set aside.

Combine water, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and honey (or corn syrup) in a medium pot. Turn the heat to medium and stir gently with a heat resistant spatula to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture starts to boil, stop stirring and let it simmer, undisturbed.Cook until the mixture takes on a rich, golden color. It will register about 300°F on a candy thermometer, if you want to be precise.Now shut off the heat and stir in the toasted hazelnuts.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and spread it out with your spatula.

Let it cool completely.While the brittle cools, melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a water bath. Stir until creamy, and set aside until cool, but pourable.

Make the chocolate hazelnut paste:When the brittle has cooled completely, chop it roughly with a knife to make it a little more manageable for your food processor.

Transfer the brittle to the bowl of the food processor.Pulse the mixture several times until it is pulverized, then let the food processor run continuously until the brittle resembles a coarse meal.Shut off the processor and remove the lid.

Pour in all of the cooled chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt. Replace the lid and continue to run until the mixture is homogeneous, it will be a very thick paste. Then, with the mixer still running, slowly drizzle in the hazelnut oil. Once all four ounces of hazelnut oil have been mixed in, take off the lid and evaluate the mixture. You can add more hazelnut oil, a tablespoonful at a time, until it reaches the consistency you prefer.Store in a jar at room temperature.