Gianduia Mousse Cake Food

GIANDUJA

Steps:

• Line an 8-in. square dish with foil. Place hazelnuts and oil in a food processor; cover and process until mixture forms a paste. , In a large saucepan, melt bittersweet chocolate. Stir in 2-1/4 cups hazelnut mixture. Pour half of mixture into prepared dish. Refrigerate until firm., Melt candy bars; stir in remaining hazelnut mixture. Pour over bittersweet layer. Refrigerate until firm., Reheat remaining bittersweet mixture if necessary; pour over candy bar layer. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

GIANDUIA MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F and butter a 10-inch springform pan. Wrap bottom and side of pan with a large piece of heavy-duty foil to waterproof.
• Chop chocolates into small pieces and melt in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and stir in Nutella and hazelnut butter until combined well.
• In a large bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer beat eggs until frothy, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating mixture at high speed until thick and pale and it holds a slowly dissolving ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes if using a standing mixer and about 8 minutes if using a hand-held mixer. Pour chocolate mixture into egg mixture and stir until combined well. In a chilled bowl beat cream until it holds soft peaks and fold into batter gently but thoroughly.
• Pour batter into springform pan and put springform pan in a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to reach halfway up side of springform pan. Bake cake in middle of oven 1 hour and 10 minutes. Turn off oven and let cake stand in oven 40 minutes. Remove springform pan from water and cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Remove side of pan from cake. Let cake cool completely before serving.
• Serve cake with whipped cream. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Cake served at room temperature will have a texture reminiscent of mousse; chilled cake will be more fudgelike.
• Available at specialty foods shops and many supermarkets.
• ** Available for purchase from Dundee Orchards, P.O. Box 327, Dundee, OR 97115, (503) 538-8105.

GIANDUJA CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C.) Butter a 9 inch springform pan. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough in the pan. Tuck it into the pan and let the edges overhang the rim. Brush with butter and layer a second sheet of phyllo. Butter this sheet. Continue until you have used all four sheets of phyllo. End with butter. Use as little butter as possible. Cover the phyllo-filled pan with a damp cloth.
• In the top of a double boiler, heat gianduia chocolate and unsweetened chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese until smooth. When no lumps remain, begin to beat in the sugar a little at a time. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time incorporating each yolk completely before adding the next. Finally beat in the melted and cooled chocolates and the liqueur.
• Beat the egg whites until they just get stiff. Do not over beat. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the cheese mixture, then quickly fold in the remaining whites until no streaks remain. Be careful not to deflate the whites as much as possible. Pour the filling into the phyllo-lined pan. Tuck the edges of the phyllo into the pan making a bit of a rim.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. It will still seem a little loose in the center. When the cake appears done, turn off the oven, prop open the oven door with a wooden spoon and let the cake remain in the oven for another hour. Then place the cake in the refrigerator until completely chilled.

GIANDUJA MOUSSE

Steps:

• Place both chocolates in a heat-proof bowl; set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until completely melted. Remove from heat; set aside in a warm place.
• Place cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment; whip until soft peaks form. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover; chill. Wash and dry mixer bowl.
• Place the egg yolks in the mixer bowl, and whip on medium speed until pale yellow, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Place sugar, corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon water in a small, shallow saucepan set over medium-high heat. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan, and cook until sugar syrup reaches soft-ball stage (238 degrees).
• Increase mixer speed to high; pour sugar syrup down side of bowl; continue mixing on high 5 seconds. Reduce speed to medium; mix until bottom of bowl is warm to the touch. Quickly whisk egg mixture into chocolate. Whisk in one-third of chilled whipped cream; gently fold in remainder. Cover with plastic, and chill until set, about 2 hours.

GIANDUIA TORTE WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Butter parchment. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Finely grind hazelnuts in processor. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool chocolate mixture to room temperature.
• Using electric mixer, beat yolks and sugar in large bowl until thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Fold in cooled chocolate mixture, then hazelnuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth top.
• Bake until cake is set and appears dry but tester comes out with very moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes. Transfer to rack. Lightly press down any raised edges of cake. Cool completely. Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Invert cake onto platter. Remove pan bottom. Peel off parchment. Slide waxed paper strips under cake to protect platter.
• Using icing spatula, spread thin coating of Chocolate Glaze over top and sides of cake. Rewarm remaining glaze over low heat if necessary. Pour glaze in pool over center of cake; spread over top and sides. Remove waxed paper strips. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature before serving.)

TORTA ALLA GIANDUIA (CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• Prepare a 9-inch springform pan: grease and line with parchment or wax paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs whites and salt until stiff but not dry (this means that they will hold their peaks, yet still appear glossy and smooth).
• In a separate bowl, beat the butter and Nutella together, then add Frangelico (or what you have chosen to use), egg yolks, and ground hazelnuts.
• Fold in the cooled, melted chocolate, then lighten the mixture with a dollop of egg white, which you can beat in as roughly as you want, before gently folding the rest of them in a third at a time.
• Pour into the prepared pan and cook for 40 minutes or until the cake's beginning to come away at the sides, then let cool on rack.
• Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan until the aroma wafts upward and the nuts are golden brown in parts: keep shaking the pan so they don't burn on one side and stay too pallid on others.
• Transfer to a plate and let cool.
• This is imperative: if they go on the ganache while hot, it'll turn oily (believe me I speak from experience).
• In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, add the cream, liquer or water, and chopped chocolate and heat gently.
• Once the chocolate's melted, take the pan off the heat and whisk until it reaches the right consistency to ice just the top of the cake.
• Unmold the cooled cake carefully, leaving it on the base as it will be too difficult to get such a damp cake off in one piece.
• Ice the top with the chocolate icing, and dot thickly with the whole, toasted hazelnuts.
• If you have used Frangelico, put shot glasses on the table and serve it with the cake.