Callebaut's Hazelnut Bresilienne brings ready made crunch and caramel sweetness, with the earthy, nutty taste of real hazelnuts. You may know this product as Caramelised Nibbed Hazelnuts, or the Dutch name, nougatine.

What Is Hazelnut Bresilienne? 

Bresilienne is roasted, chopped hazelnut pieces coated in a thin, crisp caramel. This one is 37% hazelnuts, sugar makes up the rest, and nothing else. The pieces are graded small, most sitting between 1mm and 3mm, so they scatter evenly and cling to a curved surface instead of rolling off it.

The caramel seals each piece, so the nuts maintain their crunch through contact with chocolate, gianduja, ganache and caramel, rather than softening into them. That is the difference between bresilienne and plain chopped hazelnuts.

How to Use Hazelnut Bresilienne

Use it straight from the bag, with nothing to roast, chop or caramelise first. Sprinkle it onto wet chocolate and let it set for a crisp nut crust on bonbons, bars and dipped fruit. Fold it through a gianduja, a praline filling or a caramel and it stays crunchy in the finished centre. Scatter it over dough before baking, or over a traybake, cheesecake or tart once it is out of the oven.

One note from Callebaut: Hazelnut Bresilienne is not suitable for use in cream and other liquid-heavy preparations, where the caramel draws moisture and softens. Anything fat-based like Tintoretto or Gianduja holds it beautifully, but for a liquid-based dessert add it at the last moment as a topping rather than stirring it through.

Pairings and Ideas 

Caramelised hazelnut is happiest beside milk and dark chocolate, but also tastes fantastic with coffee, banana, pear and anything with a bitter edge. A few ideas to try:

• Milk chocolate truffles rolled in bresilienne 
• Chocolate hazelnut babka, scattered over the glaze
• Paris-Brest (try one of our delicious recipes for Paris Brest!)
• Salted caramel tarts finished with a crisp nut border
• Gianduja bars with the crunch folded through
• Coffee ganache bonbons with a bresilienne crunch
• Vanilla or stracciatella gelato, spooned over at service