Hazelnut Cream Pan Food

CARAMELIZED BANANA CREAM PIE WITH HAZELNUT WHIPPED CREAM AND HAZELNUT PRALINE

Steps:

• Put the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Sprinkle half of the butter cubes over the top of the flour and process for 10 seconds. Sprinkle the remaining half of the butter over the mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, with some butter bits no bigger than peas. With the motor running, add the buttermilk through the feed tube and process until the dough just begins to come together. Transfer to a flat surface and lightly knead until the dough comes together. Form into 2 flat disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (You will need only 1 for the pie; the remaining dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.)
• Lightly spray a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick spray. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round that is 1/8-inch thick and fit it into the tart pan. Roll rolling pin over tops of pan to trim dough flush with rims and lightly prick bottoms and sides all over with a fork. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Spray the shiny side of a 12 piece of aluminum foil and line the shell shiny-side down with the foil and fill with pie weights. Bake on the middle rack in the oven until the crust sets and turns a pale golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and continue baking until golden brown and baked through, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer the tart pan to a baking rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is caramelized, about 4 minutes. Add the bananas and cook until bananas start to break down, and caramelize on both sides. Add 2 cups of the milk, bring to simmer and scrape the bottom and sides of pan and carefully transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan. Puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth; bring to a simmer.
• In a bowl whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt together until combined. Add the remaining 1 cup of milk and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk this mixture into the banana mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.Whisk together the remaining tablespoon of brown sugar and yolks in a small bowl until smooth. Ladle some of the thickened mixture into the egg mixture to temper the yolks. Pour the yolk mixture into the pot and cook until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes, WHISKING THE ENTIRE TIME. Once the mixture has thickened let it come to a boil for exactly 1 minute, whisking a few times. Remove from the heat, whisk in the softened gelatin and vanilla and strain through a coarse mesh strainer into a bowl.
• Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until set, at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours. Once pudding is set, whip the custard in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add the heavy cream and whip until light and fluffy, about 20 seconds longer.
• Transfer the filling to the cooled pie shell. Place plastic on top and let chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Mound the top with the hazelnut whipped cream and sprinkle with some of the hazelnut brittle just before serving.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly and coarsely chop.
• Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan and cook (without stirring) over high heat until it becomes a deep amber caramel, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the hazelnuts. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with a silpat. Cover with another silpat and using a rolling pin, roll the mixture as thin as possible. Let sit until the caramel has hardened, about 20 minutes. Once hard, removed from the silpan and chop into small pieces, using a chef's knife.
• Combine cream, vanilla seeds, sugar and Frangelico in a bowl and whip using a balloon whisk or hand held mixer until soft peaks form.

HAZELNUT POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, heat cream, hazelnuts and chocolate until bubbles form around sides of pan and chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally., In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar. Remove cream mixture from heat; stir a small amount of hot cream mixture into egg mixture. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Stir in liqueur if desired. Strain, discarding hazelnuts., Transfer to six 6-oz. ramekins. Place in a baking pan; add 1 in. of boiling water to pan. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until centers are just set (mixture will jiggle). Remove ramekins from water bath; cool 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Garnish servings with chocolate curls.

HAZELNUT CREAM TORTE (_TORTA 'I CREMA 'I NUCIDDI_)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a 10- by 2-inch round cake pan or 10-inch springform pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper. Butter paper. Dust pan with flour, knocking out excess.
• Sift together 1 1/4 cups flour and 2 tablespoons sugar. Beat together yolks, 1‰ cups sugar, and warm water with an electric mixer until thick, pale, and doubled in volume, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then gradually beat in flour on low speed until incorporated.
• Beat whites in a large bowl with cleaned beaters until they hold soft peaks. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Beat until whites just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into yolk mixture gently but thoroughly. Fold in remaining whites.
• Pour batter into cake pan and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and a tester inserted 1 inch from center comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 30 to 40 minutes. Turn off oven and cool cake in oven with door ajar 30 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake and invert onto a rack. Remove pan and paper, then cool completely.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Toast hazelnuts in a baking pan in middle of oven until golden and skins are blistered, 10 to 15 minutes. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let them steam 1 minute. Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skins (don't worry about skins that don't come off).
• Grind warm nuts in a food processor until they form a paste and chill until cold.
• Beat 2 cups cream with 5 tablespoons confectioners sugar with electric mixer until it holds stiff peaks. Chill until ready to assemble cake.
• Beat remaining cup cream with remaining 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar until cream just holds stiff peaks, then beat in cold hazelnut paste. Chill hazelnut filling until ready to assemble cake.
• Trim off any loose, crusty pieces from top and sides of cake. Halve cake horizontally with a long serrated knife and remove top half. Brush bottom half with two thirds of Strega, then spread all of hazelnut filling over it. Cover with top half of cake and brush with remaining Strega. Frost side and top of cake with whipped cream.
• Freeze cake until firm, at least 3 hours. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving, then sprinkle top with chocolate shavings.

HAZELNUT GELATO WITH RICH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Toast the nuts in a dry pan for 5 mins until golden. Leave to cool. Roughly chop 25g and set aside. Heat the cream, milk and sugar in a pan until nearly boiling. Whisk together the eggs yolks in a small bowl. Pour a little of the hot cream over the eggs and whisk together.
• Pour the egg mix to the pan and gently cook for about 8-10 mins until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set a medium-size bowl over another bowl of iced water. As soon as the custard has thickened, strain into the bowl, then stir through the 150g hazelnuts. Leave to cool a little, then pour the mixture into a blender and whizz until smooth. Freeze according to your ice-cream maker's instructions. Will freeze for up to 1 month.
• For the sauce, heat the cream with the coffee in a pan until boiling. Take off the heat, stir the chocolate until melted, then stir in the liqueur, if using. Serve scoops of ice cream in bowls with some sauce drizzled on top and the reserved chopped nuts scattered over.

HAZELNUT CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Put cream into mixing bowl and mix on high until soft peaks form, about 4 minute Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Whisk egg whites and sugar in a bowl while in a pan of boiling water and temp reaches 160 deg(this helps the sugar fully dissolve).
• Attach bowl to mixer with the whisk attachment; beat on high speed until slightly cooled and stiff peaks form (but not dry), about 5 minutes.
• Switch from whisk attachment to paddle attachment. Set on medium and add butter, several pieces at a time, mixing well after each addition (meringue will deflate slightly as butter is added). Add vanilla, hazelnut cream (you can add 1 tsp hazelnut syrup **not extract** to the "1/3 cup heavy cream", if you cannot find hazelnut cream), salt; mix until mixture comes together.
• Fold in the whipped cream that has been put aside in the fridge.
• Fill your favourite pastry.
• This saves well, refrigerated, but will firm up. Best to let it come to room temperature when using later.
• Time includes the time it takes for whipped cream to set up in the fridge.

HAZELNUT CREAM PAN

Steps:

• BEFORE you start the custard, add the yeast to the warm water and set aside in a bowl. This gives the bread its distinctively "yeasty" flavour. Trust me, this is a vital step.
• For the custard, start by pouring the milk into a large sauce pan, and scrape the vanilla from the pod in as well, stir to break up the vanilla seeds.
• Heat the milk and vanilla until JUST before a boil, stirring constantly.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and caster sugar together. When well blended, add a bit of the flour, then a bit of the cornstarch, stirring in between each addition until everything is well blended. Sifting would be best, if you have a sifter (I don't, but I still managed).
• Continue stirring, and slowly add the milk mixture. Once completely integrated in to the egg solution, transfer the whole lot back in to the sauce pan. Maintain a medium heat, and stir constantly until the custard reached a boil. If you're like me, you'll end with lumps ANYWAY, so remove from heat and beat vigorously with a whisk.
• Cut the butter in to cubes, and stir in to the custard, making sure each cube is fully melted before adding the next (not really necessary, probably, but that's how I did it, so I can't guarantee proper performance without doing this). There will probably be lumps again, so go at it once more with the whisk.
• Add the Frangelico and blend once more (whew), cover with cling wrap, and put the bowl in the fridge while you prepare the bread. This makes the custard a little bit thicker and easier to handle - though it can still be a bit of a pain.
• For the bread, start by combining the flour, milk and salt in a large bowl. S.l.o.w.l.y mix with a whisk until just combined (it will be flaky).
• Add the sugar, along with the fully activated yeast and egg, and stir with a wooden spoon (or a plastic spoon - just don't use a whisk).
• Flour your work surface, and turn out the dough once combined. Knead until the mixture holds together well. If it's a little too sticky to handle well, add some more flour.
• Flatten the dough with your hands. Put the unsalted butter (NOT margarine - it will not work as well!) on the newly-flattened dough, and massage it into the dough. This could take a while. Once you've got it all worked in, continue to knead the dough until it is smooth (or very near to it). This, again, could take a while.
• Coat a bowl with cooking spray or vegetable oil. Form the dough into a ball, toss into the bowl, cover with cling wrap and let rest (NOT in the fridge) for about 3/4 of an hour.
• Push down on the dough ball with both hands, gently, until all the gas has escaped. Recover with cling wrap, and let it sit for another 15 minutes.
• Divide the dough in to 12 balls. Press each ball in to a disc, recover with cling wrap and let them rest for another 15 minutes, again.
• Flatten the discs again, and roll out with your rolling pin until they form neat little circles, no thicker or thinner than a 1/4".
• Hold each disc in a cupped hand, and add about 1 tablespoon of custard in the middle of each. Close the dough around the custard, but don't stretch out the top and be sure to seal the seams tightly. Try not to overfill the pastry with custard, because if you do it will prevent the edges from holding well.
• Place the unattractive seam of the dough balls face down on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Cover again with cling wrap (I know, I know) and let sit for another 1/2 hour to 3/4 of an hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400ºF.
• If you want, throw together 1 tablespoons of egg white (left over from the yolks used in the custard) with 1 tablespoons of water and brush over the top of the buns, but this isn't absolutely necessary. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, but keep a close eye - they go from undercooked to overcooked in little to no time. Let cool and enjoy!