Espresso Hazelnut Bitter Chocolate Bark Food

ESPRESSO-HAZELNUT BITTER CHOCOLATE BARK

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. 2. Spread out the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast until well browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. (The skins should look nearly burned.) Put the hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel and rub briskly to remove the skins. Coarsely chop the nuts. Lightly crush the espresso beans with a rolling pin. 3. In a double boiler set over low heat, slowly melt 6 ounces of the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is smooth. When the chocolate is completely melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 ounces chocolate until it melts. 4. Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading it to a ¼-inch thickness with a spatula. Sprinkle the hazelnuts evenly over the surface. Repeat with the crushed espresso beans and the sea salt, if desired. Refrigerate, uncovered, until completely hardened before breaking the bark into rough pieces to serve.

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE HAZELNUT BARK

Steps:

• Line a small (9-by-13-inch) baking sheet with aluminum foil; refrigerate. With a vegetable peeler, remove zest from half the orange. With a sharp knife, cut zest into very thin strips, each about an inch long.
• Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted and completely smooth. Mix in half the zest and hazelnuts. Immediately, pour onto prepared baking sheet; with a flexible rubber spatula, spread into an 8-by-10 inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. (To help spread chocolate, tip baking sheet up and down.) Sprinkle with remaining zest, nuts, and coarse salt.
• Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. To serve, break into pieces. To store, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate, up to 3 days.

ESPRESSO, HAZELNUT & CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Mix the espresso powder with 1 tsp hot water to form a paste (you'll think it isn't enough water but it is - don't add more otherwise it'll be too watery). Set aside.
• Beat the butter and sugar until soft and blended, then beat in the coffee mixture. Don't overbeat the mixture as you don't want to incorporate too much air. (If the coffee isn't completely incorporated, don't worry - it will be once you add the flours).
• Sift together the flours and add them to the butter in three lots, mixing in with a wooden spoon and, eventually, your hands. Bring together into a ball, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and quickly knead in the hazelnuts. Don't overdo this - you don't want the butter to get too warm. Press the dough into a circle, wrap it in cling film and put in the fridge for about 40 mins.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 0.75cm thick. Cut out circles about 6cm across with a biscuit cutter and put the circles on a non-stick baking sheet (or two baking sheets, depending on their size). Re-roll the dough as you need to, but try not to do this too often. Put the baking sheets in the coldest part of the fridge and leave them for about 45 mins. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Bake the shortbread for 20 mins, or until the top is just firm when you press it with your index finger. Take out of the oven and leave on the baking sheets to cool for a while (it is very fragile when hot), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then remove the bowl and leave to cool a little and rm up somewhat. Dip each piece of shortbread halfway in the melted chocolate, then put on a sheet of baking parchment. Sprinkle the toasted hazelnuts on the chocolate half and leave to set completely. Will keep for 4 days in an airtight tin.

ESPRESSO BARK

Steps:

• Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
• Combine the chocolate chips and margarine in a microwave-safe bowl.
• Heat in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
• Mix in the coffee beans until evenly distributed.
• Pour the chocolate out onto the waxed paper and spread into an even layer.
• Sprinkle the pieces of white chocolate evenly over the top and press in lightly to make sure they stick.
• Place in the freezer until set, about 5 minutes.
• Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BARK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Note: at this point, the recipe states to rub the skins off, but I left them on. Coarsely chop nuts.
• Combine nuts, cherries and ginger in a medium bowl.
• Place chocolate in a microwave safe measuring cup. Microwave at high for 1 minute (or until melted) stirring every 15 seconds. Add nuts and fruit, stirring just until combined.
• Spread mixture evenly on a jelly roll pan lined with foil; freeze. Break into pieces.

ESPRESSO HAZELNUT FUDGE

Steps:

• Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil that extends over the sides. Coat the foil with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Set aside.
• In a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, cook the espresso, sugar, cream, salt, cream of tartar, and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter until the sugar is dissolved (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in warm water to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Place a sugar thermometer in the pan and cook the mixture without stirring until it registers 238°F on the thermometer (about 15 minutes).
• Remove the pan from the heat, remove the thermometer from the pan, and place the thermometer in warm water to cool. Sprinkle a marble board or the back of a baking sheet with cold water and immediately pour the hot mixture onto the marble. Do not scrape out the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture cool on the marble until it registers 110°F on the thermometer (about 5 minutes). If using a baking sheet instead of the marble, the cooling time will be about 15 minutes.
• Beat the fudge using one of the following three methods: With a 5-inch-wide flexible-blade scraper, transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer, add the ground cinnamon, and with the paddle attachment, beat the mixture until it thickens and loses its shine (5 to 10 minutes). Or transfer the mixture to a 2-quart mixing bowl, add the ground cinnamon, and beat the mixture with a long-handled wooden spoon until it thickens and loses its shine (10 to 15 minutes). In both cases, add the chopped hazelnuts after beating the fudge and mix until they are blended in (about 30 seconds). Or spread the mixture into a large rectangle on the marble board, sprinkle on the ground cinnamon, then use the 5-inch-wide flexible-blade scraper to gather the mixture back to the center of the marble, folding in the edges. Repeat this process until the mixture begins to thicken and lose its shine (5 to 10 minutes). Sprinkle on the chopped hazelnuts and continue to work the fudge to incorporate them (about 1 minute).
• Turn the fudge into the prepared pan. Use your fingertips to even the top and to press the fudge into the corners of the pan. Place the pan of fudge on a cooling rack and let it set completely at room temperature (1 to 2 hours).
• Remove the fudge from the pan by lifting out the aluminum foil. Invert the fudge onto a cutting board, peel the foil off the back of the fudge, and reinvert the fudge. With a large chef's knife, cut the fudge evenly into 1-inch squares. Between layers of waxed paper in a tightly covered container, the fudge will keep for 10 days at room temperature or 1 month in the refrigerator. The fudge is best served at room temperature.
• Espresso Almond Fudge: Substitute toasted, unblanched almonds for the hazelnuts.

HAZELNUT ESPRESSO FINGERS IN CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place hazelnuts in a food processor; cover and process until ground. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in espresso powder and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in hazelnuts., Shape scant tablespoonfuls of dough into 2-in. logs. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip each cookie halfway into chocolate mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.