Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Sables Food

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BALLS

Steps:

• Add 1 cup hazelnuts into a food processor fitted with the S-blade and process until hazelnuts are chopped into small pieces.
• Add cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla, sea salt and chocolate (if using) into the processor and pulse a few more times, until the ingredients start to stick together. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little water, 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture holds together well enough to be formed into balls. Be sure not to add too much water.
• Roll mixture into bite-size balls and insert one hazelnut into the center of each, forming the ball around it. This step is totally optional, but makes the bites more like the traditional Ferrero Rocher.
• Chop remaining 4 hazelnuts into tiny pieces. Roll each ball in the mixture to coat the outside.

DARK CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BONBON SPIDERS

Steps:

• For the hazelnut ganache: Put the chocolate couverture in a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, scald the heavy cream. Pour the scalded heavy cream over the chocolate couveture and set aside for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the scalded milk to melt the chocolate. With a rubber spatula, gently stir the chocolate and heavy cream until fully blended and smooth. Add the butter and stir with a rubber spatula to incorporate. Add the hazelnut extract and stir to incorporate. Pour the mixture into a large pastry bag and set aside.
• Pre-treat the polycarbonate chocolate mold with red (or any color desired) cocoa butter. Once the cocoa butter is set, brush each mold with a thin layer of tempered chocolate. Fill the entire mold with the fluid tempered chocolate and tap on work surface to release air bubbles. Quickly invert the mold and tap out excess chocolate. With a putty knife, scrape off the rest of the chocolate, let the mold rest upside down for 1 minute, and then scrape off surface of mold again. Let the chocolate set. Fill each mold with hazelnut ganache, 3/4 of the way full. Let the hazelnut ganache set. Pour the fluid tempered chocolate over the mold and spread thin, scraping off any excess. Tap mold on surface to release any air bubbles, and then scrape excess chocolate again. Transfer the finished mold to the freezer and let set for 2 to 3 minutes. Pull out the mold, invert, and tap on clean work surface to release finished bonbon.
• To assemble: Dip the hazelnuts in fluid tempered chocolate and let set. Attach to finished bonbons with a small dab of tempered chocolate. With a small pastry bag, pipe the tempered chocolate on parchment paper in a 1 1/2-inch upside-down V-shape. Repeat to make 80. Once set, lift the piped tempered chocolate and attach to the bonbons with a small dab of tempered chocolate to look like the legs of a spider.
• Over a double boiler, melt 1 pound 4 ounces chocolate to 115 to 120 degrees F. Bring the bowl with the melted chocolate to a flat, clean work surface (preferably marble or stainless steel ), wiping away any access water or steam from the bowl. With a rubber spatula, fully incorporate the remaining 2 ounces chocolate. Bring down the temperature of the chocolate to 80 to 84 degrees F by either stirring constantly in a figure 8 motion, or tabling (see Cook's Note). Once cooled, test the chocolate by dipping a small strip of parchment paper into the melted chocolate, and then lay it down on a clean work surface. If tempered, the chocolate on the parchment paper should be dry, hard, shiny, and without any streaks in 3 to 5 minutes. If any of these occur, keep stirring (agitating) the chocolate, or table it again, until a parchment paper test shows that the chocolate is tempered. When tempered, bring the chocolate back to the double boiler and reheat to NO HIGHER than 89 degrees F. (Bringing the temperature back up aids in a more fluid working consistency.) Transfer the chocolate to a chocolate warmer or set the bowl on top of a heating pad (at medium setting) to keep in temper.

DARK CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT CANDIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool. Transfer the hazelnuts to a cup and line the baking sheet with wax paper.
• Meanwhile, combine the confectioners' sugar, rice cereal and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, about 20 times. Add the chocolate-hazelnut spread and melted butter. Pulse until the mixture comes together in clumps, about 15 times; the mixture should be dry to the touch but hold together when pressed.
• Roll the mixture into teaspoon-size balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Press a hazelnut into each ball and then press the dough back into a ball shape, leaving part of the hazelnut exposed at the top. Freeze the balls at least 20 minutes to let them firm up.
• Put the chocolate chips, shortening and a pinch of salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the chips on the bottom start to melt, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Stir until the mixture is melted and smooth. Gently stick a toothpick into the upper half of a ball, avoiding the hazelnut, and dip into the melted chocolate, leaving the top half uncoated. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off and return the ball to the baking sheet. Smooth over the hole from the toothpick with your fingertip. Repeat with the rest of the balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. You can store the balls covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

DARK CHOCOLATE SABLéS

Steps:

• Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy; add vanilla, and beat until combined. Stir together flour, cocoa, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until combined after each addition. Finely chop 1 of the bittersweet chocolate baking bars, and stir into cookie dough until well incorporated.
• Divide dough in half; shape each into an 8-inch-long log. Wrap each log tightly in plasticwrap, and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. (Dough may be frozen up to 1 month.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and place 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. (Keep dough logs refrigerated while cookies bake.)
• Bake in preheated oven until bottoms are lightly browned, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes; remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Chop remaining 1 1/2 bittersweet chocolate baking bars, and place in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH until chocolate is melted and smooth, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
• Dip half of top side of each cookie in melted chocolate. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt or chopped toasted pecans, if desired. Place cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and chill just until chocolate sets, about 15 minutes. Layer cookies between wax paper, and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

SABLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Line baking sheet with parchment.
• In mixer cream together butter, sugar and salt. Add the eggs and blend well. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture all at once to the butter mixture and stir until just blended.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured pan and pat it out to 3/4 inch to 1-inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly. Using dough in small amounts, roll cookie dough onto a floured work surface. Roll dough to desired thickness. Cut cookies with a heart shaped cookie cutter. Place cookies on prepared baking sheet about 2-inches apart. These cookies do not spread. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes depending on size. Cool on baking sheet.
• Melt white chocolate snaps, divide melted chocolate into thirds. Place black food coloring in 1/3, red in another 1/3, leaving 1 without food coloring. Take cookie and dip in white chocolate for a base. Place black and red chocolate into separate pastry bags. Design a heart on cookie with red white chocolate and pipe "I Love New York" on cookies with black chocolate.

TALL, DARK, AND HANDSOME CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Whisk the hazelnut liquor and cocoa powder together until combined.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, until each has been incorporated. Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined. Turn the mixer to low, and add the flour and cocoa mixture, alternating between the 2, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined and no streaks remain. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
• For the filling: In the bowl of a food processor, grind the hazelnuts until they reach a very fine sand consistency. Add the hazelnut spread and process until the mixture begins to clump. Add the hazelnut liquor 1 tablespoon at a time, or until the mixture is able to ball easily in your hand.
• With your hands, form the paste into balls about the size of a very large cherry. Roll the balls lightly in the flour to absorb any excess liquid.
• To assemble: Fill the cupcake liners about 1/4 of the way full with the cupcake batter. Place 1 ball of filling in each liner, and then cover the filling with the remaining batter so each cupcake is about 3/4 of the way full.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• Dip each cupcake top into the Chocolate Ganache, forming an even layer, and allow to cool.
• In a heat-proof bowl, microwave the heavy cream on high for 1 to 2 minutes. The cream should be very hot to the touch.
• While the cream is being heated, place the chocolate chips and espresso powder in a medium heat-proof bowl. Once the cream is ready, pour it on top of the chocolate chips and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture has thickened. Whisk in the vegetable oil for extra shine.

BUTTER TOFFEE HAZELNUTS AND DARK CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt the butter and water on high heat. Add the sugar and corn syrup. Wipe down the sides of the saucepan with a damp pastry brush to remove any loose sugar crystals. Cook the sugar mixture to 300 degrees F. Remove from the heat and set the pan over an ice bath for 5 to 10 seconds to stop the cooking. Remove from the ice bath. Add the vanilla and baking soda, stirring to incorporate. Quickly pour the mixture onto a silicone pad and spread thin. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Let set until completely cool, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Once the toffee is set, turn over onto a sheet of parchment. Spread a thin layer of fluid, Tempered Chocolate onto the toffee and let set. Once set, the chocolate should be shiny, hard, and should snap with any given resistance. Turn back over and break into desired pieces.
• Over a double boiler, melt 4 ounces chocolate to 115 degrees to 120 degrees F. Bring the bowl, with the chocolate, to a flat, clean work surface ( preferably marble or stainless steel ), wiping away any excess water or steam from the bowl. With rubber spatula, fully incorporate the remaining 1-ounce chocolate. Bring down the temperature of the chocolate to 80 to 84 degrees F by either stirring constantly in a figure 8 motion, or tabling (see Cook's Note). Once cooled, test the chocolate by dipping a small strip of parchment paper into the melted chocolate, and then lay it down on a clean work surface. If tempered, the chocolate on the parchment paper should be dry, hard, shiny, and without any streaks in 3 to 5 minutes. If any of these occur, keep stirring (agitating) the chocolate, or table it again, until a parchment paper test shows that the chocolate is tempered. When tempered, bring the chocolate back to the double boiler and reheat to NO HIGHER than 89 degrees F. (Bringing the temperature back up aids in a more fluid working consistency.) Transfer the chocolate to a chocolate warmer or set the bowl on top of a heating pad (at medium setting) to keep in temper.

SALTED CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT BROWNIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Butter and line the base and sides of a 20cm square tin. Put the butter, chocolate and chocolate spread in a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of lightly simmering water. Once melted, stir and set aside to cool a little.
• In another bowl, use an electric whisk to beat the eggs and sugar together for 5 mins until light and fluffy. Pour in the chocolate mixture and whisk briefly to combine. Sift in the flour and gently fold through the mixture, then add most of the pecans. Scrape the mixture into the tin and spread out with a spatula. Scatter over the last of the pecans and a good sprinkling of sea salt.
• Bake for 30-35 mins until set but a little gooey in the middle. Cool, then cut into squares and serve with ice cream and caramel sauce.

SALTED DARK CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CARAMEL TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Heat hazelnut spread in metal bowl over saucepan of gently simmering water and stir until hazelnut spread is warm, smooth, and easily stirred, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from heat.
• Dissolve sugar in water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Brush sides of pan with a moistened pastry brush occasionally as sugar mixture cooks. Increase heat to medium-high and bring syrup to a boil and cook until syrup is a deep amber color, brushing down sides and swirling saucepan occasionally to prevent scorching, about 4 minutes.
• Pour cream into the syrup while stirring. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring continually, until you have a smooth caramel, 5 to 10 minutes; gently stir into the melted hazelnut spread with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt.
• Refrigerate caramel mixture until firm, at least 3 hours.
• Spread cocoa powder into the bottom of a wide, shallow bowl.
• Scoop caramel mixture with a melon baller into 1 tablespoon portions; roll in the cocoa powder to coat; arrange onto a baking sheet.
• Cover truffle balls with plastic wrap and chill overnight or 8 hours.
• Line a 13x9x2-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Heat chopped chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring frequently until chocolate is melted and smooth and the chocolate reaches a temperature of 115 degrees F (46 degrees c). Remove bowl from over water.
• Working quickly, submerge each truffle ball in the melted chocolate. Lift truffles from chocolate with a fork and tap fork against side of bowl to remove excess coating. Transfer truffle to foil-lined pan to cool. Repeat with remaining truffle balls.
• Sprinkle finished truffles lightly with 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt before the chocolate hardens. Let stand until coating sets completely, at least 1 hour.