Melt the dark chocolate with coconut oil (or heavy cream option)
Stir in the vanilla extract
Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mix and stir until well combined.
Shape small teaspoonful amounts into balls and flatten slightly with your hand. Place a hazelnut inside and wrap the ball around the hazelnut, creating a smooth finish. If the mix is sticking, wet your hands slightly.
Roll any balls you wish to roll in the chopped nuts now, before refrigerating. Place any balls you will be decorating with chocolate into the fridge to firm up before decorating.
Decorate the cold balls with chocolate by drizzling with the additional 20 gms/.7 ozs melted dark chocolate. Top with chopped hazelnuts and store in the fridge.
To dip balls completely in chocolate, melt the additional 50 gms/1.75 oz of dark chocolate in a small bowl and allow to cool slightly so it thickens a little. Remove the balls from the fridge so they are cold and firm, and place a toothpick into each ball. Dip each ball into the chocolate and allow excess to drip off before inserting the toothpick into a piece of foam so the chocolate can set. Remove toothpick when chocolate has set.
Topping Options
Roll balls in 2 tablespoons of additional chopped hazelnuts.
Drizzle balls with an additional 20 gms/.7 oz of dark chocolate melted and top with additional chopped hazelnuts .
Chocolate coat the balls- to dip the balls completely in chocolate, you will need an additional 50 gms/1.75 oz of dark chocolate. Note that you may need additional toppings if you make all balls topped with the same ingredients. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on short bursts for 10-15 seconds at a time, stirring in between and checking that it doesn't burn. The chocolate won't take long to melt so take care. You can also melt your chocolate in a bowl over a pot of hot water on the stove top. Stick a toothpick into balls that have been refrigerated (so they are firm) and dip the balls into the chocolate. Place the toothpick into a piece of foam standing upright so the chocolate can set.
Notes
Switch the coconut oil for butter or fresh heavy cream. Note that if you use fresh heavy cream in these, they will only last about 5 days and must be kept in the fridge.Decorate these in a variety of ways. Roll some in hazelnut, coat some in chocolate and drizzle some in chocolate. You may need additional chocolate/topping ingredients to coat all of the balls completely in chocolate.