Love Nutella? Make This Creamy Pistachio Butter At Home.

George Embiricos•Dec. 11, 2015 11:00 am EST

Do you love Nutella? You're certainly not alone. Originally from Italy and immensely popular in France, the addictive chocolate-and-hazelnut spread has become a favorite — right up there with peanut butter — for children (and adults) in the United States. Nutella's quick ascension to prominence got our friends at ChefSteps thinking: Why not create a riff on Nutella with a different type of nut?

This homemade pistachio butter is smooth, creamy and spreadable, with a nutty richness that's distinctly adult. Just like Nutella, its culinary uses are seemingly endless: a filling for macarons, a dip for pretzels, a spread for crêpes or — you know it — straight out of the jar with a spoon. While it's not complicated to make, the recipe does require a confectioner's device known as a conche or melanger, easily found online. Take a look at the instructional video and recipe below, and you'll be on your way to gooey pistachio goodness in no time!

Ingredients

1 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening

2 teaspoons liquid soy lecithin

1¾ cups granulated sugar

1½ cups roasted pistachios

½ cup (plus a splash) nonfat milk solids

2½ teaspoons kosher salt

Directions:

Combine the vegetable shortening and the liquid soy lecithin and melt over low heat, slowly mixing to incorporate the two.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and pulse a few times — this is to break up the pistachios so they don't clog up the conche.

Turn on the conche. Slowly pour the shortening-and-soy-lecithin mixture into the bowl of the conche. Continue with dry ingredients, adding them one spoonful at a time.

Run the conche for an hour, then stop the machine and scrape the sides down with a spatula, folding the mixture back together to ensure even grinding.

Turn the conche back on, and allow it to run for 8 to 12 hours. Don't be shy about checking the texture of your spread from time to time. Stop the process when you're happy with the results.

Transfer your spread to a covered container. You can store it in the fridge for a week.

ChefSteps comprises a team of award-winning chefs, filmmakers, scientists, designers and engineers focused on revolutionizing the way people cook by inspiring creativity and encouraging expertise in the kitchen. The site is currently offering free online classes called Cooking Sous Vide: Getting Started and Burgers, as well as a $10 class called Cooking Sous Vide: Beyond the Basics and a $14 class called Coffee.