If I was making hazlenut coffee...

[SpongeBobJudgeyPants]

by using actual hazlenuts, instead of the instant kind, what would be the best way to prepare the hazlenuts? Toasting them first, or just using them raw, and chopping them up? TIA.

Will no-one think of my nuts! I have toasted them, but it doesn't taste much of them...next time I'll try untoasted, and put more nuts in!

is it just hazelnuts or coffee and hazelnuts? are you grinding them? I'd def toast them as they taste more hazelnutty toasted.

I toasted them kitten, but I think maybe I need to have a higher proportion of nuts to coffee. I roughly chopped, toasted, then whizzed through the blender with the coffee.

That's what I would do too. hmmm, I dunno. I'll keep you company though in case anyone has successfully tried this.

Thanks Kitten! I will pass you a virtual cup when I get it right! I know you can buy the syrups, but they are too sweet, and I don't know what's in them!

Ooh. Three exclamation marks is too many

I know you said not instant but the Douwe Egberts one isn’t too sweet at all, I much prefer it to the syrups.

lol!
It's also much more satisfying to do it yourself. Are you starting with shelled hazelnuts?

Have you tried hazelnut coffee beans? Utterly delicious.

e.g www.theloveofcoffee.co.uk/hazelnut-flavoured-coffee-631-p.asp

All good ideas, thank you. Do you think I should be getting nuts in shells for fresher flavour? Probably... before I give up on the real nut experiment and explore the other suggestions.

I should imagine it will be the oil from the hazelnuts that will be giving flavour so however gives off the most oil.

Maybe in their skins, toasted and then ground with beans?

Thanks, that's what I did Sleepy, but thinking of robbing a squirrel getting them in their shells for freshness. Need to be a bit more generous with the nuts I think.

Roasting the nuts in Hazelnut oil before grinding and then letting them really slowly cook in the oven overnight (less than a 100 degrees), works for me.

Ooh, that's a thought. Can I ask where you get the oil Raving? TIA.

So, I roasted them in almond oil as I couldn't get hazelnut oil. Whizzed them in the blender, then put large amount with ground coffee in a caffetiere, to get more water and squashing nuts than in a drip coffee machine. Nice, but not nutty enough!