Dark Chocolate Coconut Praline Hazelnuts Organic

What is in these praline hazelnuts?

Hazelnuts under a dark chocolate of cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla extract, then a roll in grated coconut, with brown cane sugar, acacia gum and honey. Kazidomi Vrac sells them in a 250 g bag, put together in France.

Are they vegan?

No: the recipe includes honey, which is of animal origin. The Kazidomi Vrac hazelnuts carry no milk and no dairy butter, though, since the coating is a dark chocolate. They stay off the list for anyone allergic to tree nuts, hazelnut being the main ingredient here.

Praline hazelnuts or praline almonds: which one?

Both start with caramelised sugar around the nut and a dark chocolate coat. The Kazidomi Vrac hazelnuts then get grated coconut, which adds a dry, slightly milky note and a rough surface. The almonds finish in cocoa powder instead: matt, more bitter, and closer to a plain roasted taste.

How should I store them?

In a closed container, cool and dry, out of the light. Above twenty degrees the coating softens and the Kazidomi Vrac hazelnuts stick to each other. The fridge hardens them and turns the chocolate pale, so a cool cupboard beats both a sunny shelf and the salad drawer.

Why does a white film sometimes appear on the chocolate?

Because cocoa butter rises to the surface after a change in temperature. That pale film on the Kazidomi Vrac hazelnuts is not mould and not a sign the bag has gone off: taste and texture are unchanged. Keeping the bag between twelve and eighteen degrees, away from heat, avoids it.