Hazelnut Coffee Creamer
I want a candle that smells identical to that chemical concoction called hazelnut coffee creamer. You know the one that somehow puts off its aroma to an entire room. There is nothing natural or nutritionally viable in Coffee-Mate. No one should actually be drinking this stuff, regardless of how aromatic and alluring it is. Its cringey ingredients include but are not limited to partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, various phosphates, various sodiums, and artificial flavorings.
Whatever their chemical trick is for making this stuff so aromatic, I cannot offer. However, the taste of real hazelnuts in your coffee or tea is divine. After being reminded recently of how dang good the stuff smells, I had to try to replicate it using real ingredients.
This process is almost identical to making a plain nut milk (like my pecan nut milk), just a little less water to make it all the more creamy. With the pile of hazelnut pulp you're left with, have a go at making leftover nut pulp crackers or adding it to your next cake.
Ingredients
200 grams hazelnuts
filtered water
1 tablespoon raw honey or 2 soft medjool dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of celtic sea salt
Method
Start by soaking the hazelnuts in filtered water overnight. If you want to use sprouted hazelnuts, all the better.
Drain and rinse the hazelnuts the next day. Add the soaked hazelnuts to a blender with 2 cups of filtered water and the pinch of celtic sea salt. Blend on high.
Place a nut milk bag into a medium bowl. Pour the contents of the blender into the bag.
Gather the opening of the bag with your hands. Squeeze all the liquid out until just the nut pulp remains in the bag.
Whisk sweetener of choice (if using) and vanilla extract. If you can get your hands on organic hazelnut extract, by all means add that for full effect of aromatics.
Store hazelnut coffee creamer refrigerated in a glass jar, shake before using. Separation with homemade nut milk is normal because there are no emulsifying agents or thickeners. Homemade nut milk also has a short shelf life, I'd recommend using it within 5 days of making.