dark chocolate spread

Oberhöller Dark Chocolate Cream with Piedmont Hazelnuts

Oberhöller's dark chocolate cream is a rich spread from the Sarntal valley in South Tyrol, defined by the flavors of roasted Piedmont hazelnuts and cocoa. Instead of palm oil, sunflower oil keeps the mixture spreadable, even when the jar is stored in a cool place.

The dark chocolate cream is a nut spread from Oberhöller in Sarnthein, South Tyrol, available in a 400-gram jar and containing 15 percent cocoa. It is the darkest of the house's varieties, more tart than their light-colored creams, and with an aroma closer to a praline than a breakfast spread.

Cocoa, hazelnut, and a dark sheen

The nutty, toasted scent rises from the spoon immediately, followed by the tart cocoa, which then lingers.

In the jar, the spread has a dark, almost lacquered sheen; on bread, it becomes matte and dense. The roasted hazelnut leads the flavor profile, with the cocoa providing a bitter foundation; together, they create a much more sophisticated experience than what children typically associate with chocolate spreads.

It shines best on a slice of dark farmhouse bread, as the acidic crumb plays off the cocoa. On light toast, however, the sweetness comes to the fore, making the spread taste rounder and softer.

On farmhouse bread in the morning, over ice cream in the evening

For breakfast, it belongs on hearty bread; in the evening, a spoonful over a scoop of vanilla ice cream is enough.

A warm croissant absorbs it without the need for spreading, and in porridge, the dark mixture swirls into ribbons that slowly melt away. Stirred into warm milk, it transforms into a rich hot chocolate in under a minute.

When baking, the spread can be used to fill doughnuts and muffins, or act as a base for a quick tart topped with fresh pears. Keep the jar in a cool, dry place, but not in the refrigerator, otherwise the mixture will firm up and become difficult to spread on bread.

Why a spread needs oil

A chocolate bar is held together by cocoa butter, which is solid at room temperature and only melts in the mouth.

This fat is unsuitable for a spread, as the jar would be rock-hard in the cupboard in the morning. That is why every chocolate cream requires an oil that remains liquid even when cold, and the choice of this oil is decisive for the taste.

Oberhöller uses sunflower oil, which has a neutral flavor that lets the hazelnut take center stage. Palm oil would be cheaper to source, but it leaves a film on the tongue and mutes everything underneath it.

The company roasts the Piedmont hazelnuts themselves in small batches; roasting is always done just before grinding, as the aroma would otherwise evaporate.

Roasted hazelnuts are the second ingredient on the list, right after sugar, and the cocoa content is fifteen percent. Sunflower oil serves as the fat, whereas other spreads rely on palm oil. This is why this cream remains soft at room temperature and can be spread from the spoon without effort.

A dark spread for adults

Those looking for less cocoa can reach for the nutty hazelnut chocolate cream, while those who prefer a lighter taste can choose the white chocolate cream. Together, the three make an excellent gift, and every other nut spread in the Oberhöller range has a distinct character of its own.