Frozen Praline Mousse Cups With Hazelnut Filled Bamba Food

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH HAZELNUT PRALINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes.
• Add the egg, egg yolks, vanilla extract, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water to a medium heatproof bowl and whisk to combine. Set the bowl over a medium saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow the bowl to touch the water). Cook, whisking constantly and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the mixture is pale, hot to the touch and has almost doubled in volume, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and continue to whisk until the egg mixture has cooled, about 2 minutes.
• Put the bittersweet and semisweet chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set it over the saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow the bowl to touch the water). Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Meanwhile, whip the cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Once melted, remove the chocolate from the heat and gently stir for about 3 minutes to cool slightly. (If it is too warm it won't combine with the egg mixture or the whipped cream without seizing up.)
• Very slowly stream in and whisk the chocolate into the egg mixture until combined. (The mixture may get very thick.) Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions until it is fully incorporated. Chill, covered, until firm, 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Add the remaining cup sugar to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Melt the sugar, swirling the pan and stirring frequently, until it becomes a deep amber color, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and fold in the hazelnuts. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and quickly spread very thin. Let sit at room temperature until hardened, about 1 hour. Once hardened, transfer to a cutting board and finely chop.
• To serve, place the serving plates in the freezer until very cold, about 10 minutes.
• If using melted chocolate and whipped cream for serving, prepare them: Put the semisweet chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set it over the saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow the bowl to touch the water). Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Whip the cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Decorate the plates as desired with cocoa powder, melted chocolate or whipped cream. Place two spoons with deep bowls in a cup of boiling water. Remove the mousse from the refrigerator and spoon two quenelles onto each plate using the hot spoons (be sure to dry your spoons before forming the quenelles). Top with the hazelnut praline.

HAZELNUT CAKE WITH NUTELLA MOUSSE

Steps:

• For the hazelnut cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round or square baking pan.
• Pulse the hazelnuts until coarsely chopped in a food processor. Reserve. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl, and then beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, using an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the hazelnut paste and beat until incorporated and there are no lumps. Gradually add in the flour mixture, stopping the beater when it is just combined.
• Fold 1 cup of the chopped hazelnuts into the batter, reserving the rest for garnish.
• Transfer the batter to the pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the cake cool 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely.
• For the nutella mousse: Mix the Nutella and mascarpone in a large bowl to combine. Beat the heavy cream in another large bowl, using a hand mixer, until just under soft peaks. Add in the Nutella mixture in 2 additions, and beat until you don't see any streaks. Place the mousse in a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• To serve and assemble the cake: Cut the cake into 3-inch squares or rounds and cut each in half equatorially. Pipe the mousse on both the bottom and top halves of each of the cakes, and then give each cake a light sprinkey-dink of the chopped hazelnuts.

HAZELNUT PARIS-BREST

Steps:

• Make praline:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Toast hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan in oven until skins split and nuts are golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven (leave oven on), then wrap hazelnuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 5 to 10 minutes. Rub hazelnuts in towel to remove loose skins (some skins may not come off), then transfer hazelnuts to a small bowl, discarding skins. While hazelnuts steam, toast almonds in baking pan until golden, 5 to 8 minutes, then add to bowl with hazelnuts. Lightly grease pan and set aside.
• Cook sugar in a dry small heavy skillet over moderate heat, swirling skillet, until sugar begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling skillet, until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and, working quickly, stir in nuts to coat, then transfer mixture to greased baking pan, spreading slightly. Let stand at room temperature until hardened and cool, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer praline to a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Coarsely crush praline in bag using a rolling pin or bottom of a heavy skillet, then transfer three fourths to a food processor and purée until it becomes a smooth, creamy "butter," 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve remaining crushed praline for garnish.
• Make cream filling:
• Bring milk to a simmer in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. While milk heats, whisk together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heatproof bowl.
• Add hot milk to yolk mixture in a stream, whisking, then transfer mixture to saucepan and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, whisking (mixture will become thick and lumpy). Simmer, whisking constantly, 3 minutes (mixture will become smooth). Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Transfer to a clean bowl and chill pastry cream, its surface covered with wax paper, until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Beat heavy cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Beat pastry cream in a large bowl with mixer until smooth, then add praline "butter" and beat until incorporated. Fold in whipped cream, one third at a time, gently but thoroughly, then cover surface of hazelnut cream with wax paper and chill until ready to use.
• Make choux pastry:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Trace a 9-inch circle with a pencil on a 12-inch square of parchment or wax paper, then trace a 5-inch circle inside it. Turn paper over (circles will still be visible) and put on a large baking sheet.
• Bring water to a boil with butter, granulated sugar, and salt in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to moderate. Add flour all at once and cook, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan, about 1 minute. Continue to cook and stir vigorously (to dry out mixture) 3 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and cool mixture, stirring occasionally, until warm to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes. Add whole eggs 1 at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition until dough is smooth.
• Transfer dough to pastry bag fitted with plain tip and pipe 3 concentric rings to fill space between traced circles on parchment, then pipe 2 more on top to cover seams between bottom rings. Lightly brush pastry with some egg wash, then scatter almonds over pastry and dust with 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar.
• Bake choux pastry until golden and well puffed, 20 to 25 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake until deep golden and firm to the touch, about 25 minutes more. Immediately prick top of pastry in 8 to 10 places with tip of a small sharp knife (to release steam) and continue to bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Transfer pastry (on parchment) to a rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Halve pastry horizontally with a serrated knife and carefully invert top onto work surface. Remove and discard any wet dough from interior of top and bottom. Transfer hazelnut cream to cleaned and dried pastry bag fitted with star tip and pipe cream decoratively into bottom half of pastry, then carefully reinvert top half over it. Sprinkle top with reserved praline and dust with additional confectioners sugar.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT MOUSSE-FILLED CUPS

Steps:

• With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk cream until soft peaks form. Transfer to refrigerator; chill for 1 hour.
• In a clean mixing bowl, and with a clean whisk, beat yolks on high speed until pale and frothy. Meanwhile, bring sugar, corn syrup, and water to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Continue boiling for about 1 minute. With mixer on medium-low speed, carefully pour hot syrup down side of bowl. Beat on medium-high speed until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Beat in hazelnut praline paste. Stir in chocolate, vanilla, and a pinch of salt with a flexible spatula.
• Add one-third of the chocolate mixture to whipped cream; whisk to combine. Add remaining chocolate mixture, fold to completely combined. Pass through a coarse sieve into a large bowl; discard any solids.
• Transfer mousse to a disposable pastry bag or large plastic bag. Using scissors, snip a small hole in bottom of the bag or from one of the corners of the plastic bag. Pipe mousse into chocolate cups to fill; serve garnished with hazelnuts and shaved chocolate.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT MOUSSE CUPS

Steps:

• Bake pastry shells according to package directions. Cool completely., In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form., In another bowl, beat mascarpone cheese, Nutella and cinnamon until blended. Fold in whipped cream and chocolate chips. Spoon into pastry shells. If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Refrigerate until serving.

FROZEN HAZELNUT-TANGERINE TIRAMISU

Steps:

• For Praline:
• Lightly oil baking sheet. Stir sugar and water in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped into water and swirling pan occasionally. Mix in nuts. Pour onto prepared sheet; cool. Coarsely chop praline.
• For Filling:
• Boil tangerine juice in heavy large saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 12 minutes. Set aside. Whisk 1 cup sugar and yolks in large metal bowl. Whisk in 1 cup water. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until candy thermometer registers 180°F., about 5 minutes. Remove from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until cool, about 5 minutes. Mix in tangerine juice, cream and peel. Add mascarpone and 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier and beat until smooth. Fold in 1 cup praline (reserve remaining praline for another use). Chill filling while preparing biscuits.
• Line 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with plastic wrap. Stir remaining 10 tablespoons sugar, 10 tablespoons water and espresso powder in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Mix in 5 tablespoons Grand Marnier. Cool syrup.
• Using sharp knife, trim 1 biscuit to 3-inch length. Soak biscuit in syrup 10 seconds per side. Place rounded end up and sugared side against side of prepared pan. Repeat with as many biscuits as necessary to cover sides of pan. Soak more biscuits in syrup and place on bottom of pan, covering completely. Pour half of filling into pan. Soak more biscuits in syrup 10 seconds per side; place atop filling, covering completely. Spoon remaining filling over. Freeze overnight.
• Release pan sides from cake. Fold down plastic. Sift cocoa over dessert. Garnish with tangerine slices, if desired.