Espresso Hazelnut Fudge Food

SPUMONI SUNDAES WITH ESPRESSO HOT FUDGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring amaretto and preserves to boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium; boil gently until mixture is reduced to 3 tablespoons, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cherries; let soak at room temperature at least 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
• Bring 2/3 cup cream, honey, and espresso powder to simmer in another small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter; whisk until smooth. DO AHEAD: Fudge sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm just until pourable before using.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon fudge sauce into each of 6 dessert glasses. Add 1 scoop pistachio gelato and 1 scoop vanilla gelato to each glass. Drizzle 1 tablespoon fudge sauce over gelato on each. Top with whipped cream, cherry mixture, and pistachios.

ITALIAN HAZELNUT ESPRESSO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend flour, brown sugar, cornstarch, 1 tablespoon espresso powder and salt in processor. Add butter and vanilla. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add nuts; blend until finely chopped. Transfer dough to floured work surface. Knead just until dough comes together.
• Divide dough in half. Press each half into 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer shortbread to rack; cool 2 minutes. Remove pan sides.
• Cut each shortbread round into 24 wedges. Cool completely.
• Mix 2 tablespoons hot water and remaining 1 teaspoon espresso powder in small saucepan. Add chocolate. Stir over medium-low heat until chocolate is smooth. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate mixture over cookies. Let stand until chocolate sets. (Can be prepared ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.)

HAZELNUT-ESPRESSO SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in the egg, yolk, espresso granules and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in hazelnuts. , Divide dough into thirds; flatten each portion into a circle. Wrap separately; refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle., On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 1-1/2-in. cookie cutter; place 1/2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough; chill and reroll scraps. , Bake at 375° for 6-8 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. , For filling, place 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until filling reaches spreading consistency, about 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally., Spread filling over the bottoms of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies. In a microwave, melt remaining 1 cup semisweet chips; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

STRACCIATELLA TORTONI CAKE WITH ESPRESSO FUDGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Butter a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan and line bottom and short sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving 4 inches of overhang on each end.
• Stir together ground cookies, ground almonds, and butter, then firmly press over bottom of pan. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Make tortoni filling:
• Beat egg whites with sugar, cream of tartar, and 1/8 tsp salt in a large metal bowl set over a large saucepan of simmering water using a handheld mixer at medium-high speed until whites hold soft peaks and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 7 minutes.
• Remove bowl from pan and continue to beat meringue until it just holds stiff peaks, about 2 minutes.
• Beat cream with Amaretto in another bowl at medium speed using cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold in half of meringue gently but thoroughly. Fold in remaining meringue along with chocolate. Spoon over crust, smoothing top with offset spatula. Sprinkle with almonds. Freeze, uncovered, until firm, about 3 hours.
• Make sauce:
• Bring cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, espresso powder, cocoa, 1/8 tsp salt, and half of chopped chocolate to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until chocolate is melted. Reduce heat and cook at a slow boil, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and remaining chocolate until smooth. Cool to warm.
• To serve:
• Dip bottom of loaf pan in 1 inch warm water in a roasting pan 10 seconds, then lift tortoni out of pan using parchment paper. Transfer to a platter. Peel paper from tortoni.
• Let stand 5 minutes to soften slightly. Cut into 6 triangular wedges. Thin sauce with additional cream if necessary and serve with tortoni.