Hazelnut Zuccotto Food

ZUCCOTTO: A CREAMY ITALIAN DESSERT CAKE

Steps:

• Line a 2 1/2 quart bowl with plastic wrap. Have it much larger than you need to cover the top later.
• Cut the sponge cake in half. I love this inexpensive tool.
• Place one slice in the bottom of the bowl. If you're using a loaf cake, cut slices and then triangles and fill the bowl like a jigsaw puzzle to cover every spot, so that the entire bowl is covered.
• Slice a few pieces of the other half of the cake into strips.
• Use the strips to line around the cake in the bowl. This only takes a few minutes, and its very easy!
• Sprinkle the cake with your choice of liqueur. I used Kahlua this time.
• In a medium sized pot (off the heat), stir the egg yolks and sugar together briskly with a wooden spoon.
• Add the flour a little at a time and incorporate into the mixture.
• Heat the milk to boiling and add the vanilla. Begin adding the hot milk to the mixture a little at a time, mixing well in between additions. Do not add too much at once or the eggs may curdle.
• Continue adding the hot milk and stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
• Once all the milk has been added, put the pot onto medium heat and continue to stir.
• When the mixture comes to a boil, let it cook for 3 or 4 minutes then remove from the heat. Keep stirring as it cools so that it doesn't form a skin.
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave, or in a bowl over some hot water.
• Set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, beat 10 oz (300 ml) heavy whipping cream with the instant coffee powder until stiff peaks form; set aside.
• To the cooled pastry cream, add 1 Tbsp of Grand Marnier, the 2 oz (57 g) of grated chocolate and the whipped coffee cream. Fold mixture until completely combined.
• Spread 2/3 of the mixture into the cake-lined bowl almost reaching the top, but not completely. Leave a hollow in the middle and don't worry if it doesn't look perfect, it will be fine in the end.
• Add the melted chocolate to the remaining cream.
• Mix well until the color is uniform, then fill the center of the zuccotto.
• Take pieces of the remaining cake and close up the bottom of the zuccotto.
• Sprinkle with more of your chosen liqueur, then seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but I like to leave it overnight.
• Beat the remaining 8 oz of heavy whipping cream, with the other 2 teaspoons of coffee powder and 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar until stiff peaks form.
• When ready to decorate, remove top plastic wrap and place a FLAT (must be completely flat!) plate or cake stand on top of the zuccotto and invert. Remove the bowl.
• Ta dah! This is my favorite part! Have cracks? Doesn't matter, it's still going to turn out perfectly.
• Spread the coffee-flavored whipped cream all over the zuccotto.
• Make swirls or peaks in the cream, whichever way you like, but it doesn't have to be fancy. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings, curls or more grated chocolate.
• It's best to refrigerate the cake for an hour or so. However, you can serve it immediately if you need to.

ZUCCOTTO

Steps:

• Spray a 1 1/2-quart bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bowl with plastic wrap. Cut the pound cake crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice diagonally in half, forming 2 triangles. Line the bottom and sides of the prepared bowl with the cake triangles. Brush some of the brandy over the cake triangles lining the bowl. Reserve the extra triangles.
• Stir the chocolate in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup of cream in another large bowl until it is thick and fluffy. Fold 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate. Fold half of the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Spread the chocolate cream over the cake, covering completely and creating a well in the center. Cover and refrigerate if not assembling cake right away.
• In another clean large bowl, add the remaining 1 cup of cream and almond extract. Using an electric mixer with clean beaters, beat on medium speed and gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat until firm peaks form. Fold in the nuts. Spoon the cream mixture into the center of the well of the filling.
• Brush the remaining cake slices with brandy and arrange them, brandy side down, over the cake, covering the filling completely and trimming to fit, if necessary. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
• Invert the cake onto a platter. Remove the bowl and the plastic wrap. Sift the cocoa powder over and serve.

HAZELNUT TOFFEE ZUCCOTTO

Steps:

• Line a 1-1/2-qt. bowl with plastic wrap; set aside. Cut pound cake into 1/4-in. slices; set aside six slices for the top. Line bottom and sides of prepared bowl with remaining cake, trimming slices to fit snugly. Brush cake in bowl with some Kahlua., In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, espresso powder and vanilla until blended. In another bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form; fold into cream cheese mixture. Fold in chopped candy bars and hazelnuts. Spoon over cake., Brush one side of reserved cake slices with remaining Kahlua; place brushed sides down over the filling, trimming slices to fit. Refrigerate, covered, 5 hours or overnight., To serve, unmold onto a serving plate. Remove bowl and plastic wrap; dust cake with cocoa and additional confectioners' sugar. Cut into wedges.

HAZELNUT GELATO

Steps:

• Combine milk, cream, and 1/3 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Beat egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar together in a bowl until mixture is light yellow, about 4 minutes. Stir 1/2 cup milk mixture into egg mixture until smooth; pour into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan, stirring continuously. Cook, stirring continuously, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 8 to 10 minutes; remove from heat.
• Stir chocolate hazelnut spread, espresso powder, and vanilla extract into milk mixture until well combined; pour through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Refrigerate mixture until cold, about 3 hours.
• Pour milk mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

ZUCCOTTO

Steps:

• Spray a 1 1/2-quart bowl lightly with vegetable spray. Line bottom and sides with cake, ensuring a tight fit to completely encase the filling. Sprinkle with liqueur and set aside.
• Whip cream until it holds soft peaks. Separately, beat ricotta and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Fold together whipped cream and ricotta. Fold in half the nuts and candied fruit. Pour half the mixture over the cake. Make a well in the center large enough to hold the remaining cream mixture.
• Thoroughly blend remaining cream mixture with chocolate and cocoa powder, then spoon mixture into the well left in Step 2. Sprinkle remaining nuts on top, cover lightly with plastic wrap and freeze until very firm, at least 6 hours.
• Fifteen minutes before serving, remove from freezer and invert onto a plate. Slice and serve.

ZUCCOTTO

Steps:

• Cut cake in slices 1 cm (1/2") thick, cut each slice on the diagonal, making two triangular sections - this is so it will fit into 5 cup round based pudding basin.
• Combine brandy and Maraschino; carefully brush one side of each section of cake with this mixture.
• Place sections of cake unbrushed side against sides of tin, against the inside of.
• pudding bowl which as been lined with a layer of damp muslin; make sure the narrowest end of cake is on the bottom.
• Repeat process until the inside of the bowl is completely lined with cake; alternate crust and non-crust sides of cake to give striped effect; fill the gaps with pieces of moistened cake; trim edges of cake so they are level with top of basin; the left over cake will cover top when filled.
• Place almonds on oven tray, bake in moderate oven 5 minutes or until pale brown; remove from oven, cool.
• Chop almonds and hazelnuts roughly; chop 30g (1oz) chocolate, put aside; melt remaining chocolate in top of double saucepan over hot water.
• Whip together cream and sifted icing sugar until firms peaks form; fold nuts into mixture, divide mixture in half, fold chopped chocolate through one half and melted chocolate through the other.
• Spoon white cream mixture evenly over the entire cake surface, leaving a cavity in the centre of the bowl; spoon chocolate mixture into cavity.
• Moisten remaining cake with left over liqueur, arrange on top to cover surface completely; cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.
• Turn out carefully onto serving plate; if desired, dust top with combined sifted icing sugar and cocoa about one teaspoon of each.

HAZELNUT TARTUFFO

Steps:

• At least a day ahead of serving, shape the gelato into balls by arranging 5 squares of plastic wrap on a countertop and placing a portion of the gelato in the center of each. Bring the wrap around each and twist together to enclose. Mold each into a ball (the shape doesn't have to be perfect at this point), unwrap and push a cherry into each center. Rewrap. Place the balls on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 6 hours, rounding out the shape for the first hour. Remove plastic wrap from balls after about 2 hours.
• For the ganache coating, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water and whisk in 1/2 cup heavy cream until completely smooth. Remove from the heat and cool completely. (Do not refrigerate.) The mixture should be about 70 degrees and will be thick enough to make a ribbon on itself when the whisk is lifted.
• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Working with one ball at a time, dip into the ganache to coat. Immediately sprinkle with some hazelnuts. Freeze 2 hours to harden and then store in a covered container in freezer until ready to serve.
• To serve, warm the remaining 1/4 cup of heavy cream and whisk into remaining ganache. Add the remaining hazelnuts. Serve as a sauce for tartuffo.

ZUCCOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until skins begin to split, about 10 minutes. Rub warm nuts vigorously with a clean kitchen towel to remove skins. Return to baking sheet; toast until fragrant and golden brown, about 1 minute more. Cool; coarsely chop. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water, and liqueur if using. Bring to a boil; stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; set aside to cool completely. Line a 9-by-5-inch domed metal or glass bowl with plastic wrap.
• Cut rectangular sponge cake into thirds crosswise and lengthwise, making 9 rectangles. Reserve round sponge cake layer to use on top. Cut each rectangle diagonally in half, forming 18 triangles. Brush both sides of each triangle with some syrup. Line inside of bowl with triangle slices, pointed ends facing bottom of bowl, to form a sunburst pattern. Fit slices snugly so bowl is completely lined. Use small pieces of syrup-brushed cake to fill in gaps. Trim the cake top to make it even. Transfer lined bowl to refrigerator.
• Place cream and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium until stiff, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in reserved nuts, toffee, and raspberries. Remove lined bowl from refrigerator, fill with cream mixture, and cover top with cake round. This will become bottom of zuccotto when unmolded. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 12 hours or overnight.
• Place a wire rack on top of bowl, and invert zuccotto onto rack. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Remove bowl and plastic wrap. Using a ladle, pour ganache over top of dome, letting excess drip down sides onto rack. Make sure to coat entire surface of the zuccotto. Cut into wedges. Ladle with creme anglaise. Serve immediately, garnishedwith chopped toffee, nuts, and berries.